How to Make Great Home Made Ice Cream

Did you ever look at the ingredients on a package of ice cream from the store? Sure, there are some tasty ice creams out there, but upon closer inspection some of them have ingredients I can't pronounce. This disturbs me. Ice cream is simple. Milk and/or cream, sugar and eggs, and perhaps some fruit or other yummy flavoring. That's it.

Here is your basic vanilla ice cream recipe. From here, you can experiment to your heart's desire with delicious flavors. We'll talk about variations such as lower fat etc. later. Start with this incredible, creamy recipe as your base:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 pints heavy whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups whole milk

That's it. Mix it together in a big bowl, pour it into your ice cream maker and VOILA! You have ice cream!

With traditional ice cream makers, you will also need ice and rock salt. You pour the ice cream mix into the metal cylinder, put it in the ice cream maker then cover with ice and pour rock salt over the ice. The reason for the salt is that it gets your ice cream freezing at an ideal temperature.

We made a couple batches of ice cream the other day and after about an hour we had some mint chocolate chip and some strawberry ice cream. It was DELICIOUS!!

WHAT? Raw eggs? Well, we've used the recipe for years and never had the issue with salmonella. To be safe, you can cook the base mixture on the stove to a temperature of 160 degrees. Do not bring to a boil or it will curdle. After it has been cooked, the mixture must be cooled completely in the refrigerator before putting into the ice cream maker/freezer.

Here is a classic ice cream maker. It's electric, so you don't have to wear your arms out with the hand crank. These things last. My White Mountain ice cream maker is my dad's from over 30 years ago. and it's still going strong!

4Q Electric Ice Cream Maker


Or try the old-fashioned hand crank method!



White Mountain Hand-Operated Ice Cream Maker - 6 qt.

Back in the day, ice cream socials centered around families getting together and hand cranking delicious ice cream for everyone to enjoy. Now you can recapture that tradition with this authentic-looking Ice Cream Maker with Crank. Since 1853, White Mountain Ice Cream Makers have been considered the best Ice Cream Makers in America! White Mountain prides itself on its commitment to use the highest quality metals, woods, and manufacturing techniques to produce the finest ice cream maker in the world! Featuring a triple-motion gear action that properly mixes and beats the entire cream contents of the canister, resulting in the smoothest, creamiest ice cream in just 20-30 minutes. The stainless-steel canister is designed for faster freezing, and the cast-iron dasher and blades will never warp out of shape. The freezer tub is made of New England pine that has been sealed, stained, lacquered and bound with strong galvanized hoops. Get ready for some good treats! Available in 4-Quart or 6-Quart sizes.


The Ice Cream Lover's Companion; The Ultimate Connoisseur's Guide to Buying, Making, and Enjoying Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt

Well, you EAT it! But you can't eat it all at once. Scoop it, serve it, store it with these great products!

Easy Grip Jumbo Ice Cream Scoop



With the UCO Play & Freeze(tm) Ice Cream Maker, you can make ice cream anywhere. You don't need electricity, just add ice and rock salt in one end and ice cream mix in the other end - then have a ball as you shake it, pass it or roll it. The ice cream mix can be as simple as cream, sugar and vanilla. Try flavors from our recipe list included or make up your own. Made of durable polycarbonate, it's lightweight, portable, and easy to clean.



Make delightfully amusing treats with our playful Cuisipro Ice Cream Scoop & Stack. The scoop & stack creates cylindrical blocks of ice cream that can be decorated or stacked for a colorful and creative presentation. The ergonomic scooper cuts through the hardest ice cream with a simple twist-and-lift action. Push button release. Each scoop holds 3.75oz ice cream. Dishwasher safe on top rack. Available in various colors.




Enjoy some ice cream treats using these Tovolo Ice Cream Sandwich Molds (set of 3). These ice cream sandwich molds are designed to be easiest and most fun to use on the market. Use requires three simple steps: Bake a full sheet of cookies (cookie recipes are included); cut out cookies with the design of your choice (design details are pushed right into the cookie); use the press to sandwich the ice cream between two cookies. Sold in sets of three. Available in different set styles. Classic Icon Set includes, heart, star, and squircle. Farm Animal Set includes pig, cow, and chicken. Dishwasher safe.

Something to know about adding flavors is that experimenting is FUN! Amounts of ingredients are approximate and you can flavor it to your particular taste.

Mint Chocolate Chip:

This is one of my very favorites. I take the base mixture and add 1 1/2 tbsp of mint extract to it. Just enough to add a little flavor. Where I add more mint is the chocolate! What I like to do is take chocolate chips (I prefer semi-sweet or dark chocolate) and melt it on the stove and mix in about a tablespoon of mint extract. Once it's melted and pourable (but not runny), I pour it into the base mixture and stir before adding the mix to the ice cream maker. What this does is make minty chocolate flecks and streaks throughout the ice cream. It's delicious!

Cookies and Cream:
Simple. Take the base mixture and add in 2-3 cups of crushed Oreos. Yum.

Fruit:
Again, very simple! Add in a few cups of your favorite fruit to the base mixture.