How to make homemade icecream

You don't need to buy an expensive home ice cream maker in order to make simple old fashioned home made ice cream; your freezer at home will do the job just fine - just as it did in the days before ice-cream makers became readily available.

Firstly you should choose an ice-cream recipe that you want to try out. Some recipes can be found on this page and others here: homemade ice cream recipes

Some recipes will work better than others so try and start with a basic homemade ice-cream recipe such as chocolate or vanilla and then, once you have mastered this technique, experiment with different recipes.

Here is how to freeze homemade ice-cream in the freezer:

Once you have prepared your ingredients as per the recipes instructions take a shallow tray or plastic container and pour in the mixture.

Place in your freezer, and then every 45 minutes take the mixture out whisk it thoroughly with hand mixer (or pulse with in a food processor) to break up the ice crystals, before putting it back into the freezer compartment. Repeat this step over until it's fairly firm and holds its shape.

At this point, turn the ice cream mixture into a bowl and beat very well, returning to a container or mold of your choice, and then leave in the freezer for several hours or overnight until it is become completely frozen, then serve and enjoy!

Ice cream made this way will be denser than a classic ice cream that you would buy from the shops, but it can be absolutely delicious

If you wish to set your ice cream and serve it in forms or shapes, it is best that it is done using a mold. One of the better-known molds is the pudding shaped mold for creating the perfect Ice cream Christmas cake. Pudding shaped ice cream cakes look great when decoratively garnished and served on an attractive serving dish.

Molds come in many shapes and sizes with some of the more popular molds being the brick or the melon shape molds, but can come in really crazy shapes, such as a castle mold, farm animals molds or even a love heart mold (ideal for you valentine!)

Any mixing bowl or straight-sided vessel will make a good mold, although beware of shapes where the tops are narrower than the bottoms. Metal molds will give the best sharp lines. Metal is also well is a good temperature conductor.

Glass molds for ice creams are often are a good choice, but ensure that the glass is resistant to sudden changes of temperature - taking a glass mold directly from the freezer and running it under warm water, can sometime crack it

Making ice cream in molds is a fun summertime activity that anyone can enjoy, but no one is more partial than young kids. Set aside an afternoon to make and mold your ice creams and, letting your mold stand for two hours, eat and enjoy!

Ensure copper molds are tin lined to remove the risk of not only the chance of copper poisoning but also ice cream discolouration

If you have already have some homemade icecream made in the freezer it is quite easy to re-pack your ice cream into a mold. Simply take it from the freezer and let it stand at room temperature for 10 - 15 minutes and, taking your chosen mold, using a large knife or steel spatula, pack the ice-cream in whilst all the time smoothing it down to remove any air pockets until it has been filled and is overflowing. Scrape the top off with your spatula, replace the mold lid and re-freeze.

To smooth over any imperfections a knife or spatula can be used, or simply cover them with a thick layer of whipped cream.

To remove your ice cream from a mold loosen the pudding with a flexible knife and, whilst holding the mold on a slight slant, give it a gentle shake, and nine times out of ten it will come out quickly, maintaining the perfect shape of the can or mold!

If you try this and the cream still sticks and refuses to come out, then try wiping the mold with a towel wrung from warm water. Using boiling hot water will spoil the gloss of your homemade ice cream pudding, and the cream will be melted too much to pleasingly garnish.

There really is no limit to the amount of varieties of homemade ice cream. Let your only restriction be your imagination. You can make any number of homemade ice cream flavors using combinations of different dairy products, such as milk and cream, combined with flavorings, fruits, sweeteners (or even sugar free homemade ice cream) and additives such as nuts, chocolate chips, candies and cookies.

Of course there are the perennial favorites such as chocolate, caramel, strawberry and vanilla, but other more unusual recipes you could try are walnut ice cream, apricot ice cream, apple ice cream, brown bread ice cream, lemon ice cream, pistachio ice cream, and peach ice cream

For more homemade ice-cream recipes have a look at this blog: homemade ice cream recipes

You can serve your homemade ice-cream in a number of ways; in the shape of a mold is one popular way. Serve your molded ice cream onto a display tray with a little garnish added (a sprig of ornamental holly looks great on a Christmas Ice cream Pudding).

Another way to serve your ice cream could be as an ice cream sundae, with hot fudge, whipped cream and nuts.

Try serving your best homemade icecream in martini or cocktail glass for a touch of class.

Try making a spider by placing a scoop of ice cream in a glass and then, over the top, pour in lemonade stopping just before the rim of the glass. This is a great tasting treat on a hot summer day.

Chill all the ingredients - especially the cream and milk - before using. Ensure that any utensils (bowls, beaters) are well chilled.

Set your freezer to the lowest setting

Use metal, foil or plastic containers for freezing your ice cream as ice-cream will freeze quickly in these containers

Ensure a well cleared space around the containers when you place them in the freezer as this allows cold air to circulate freely around them.

Once the ice cream recipe mixture is partly frozen, approximately about a third of the way in from the edge of the container, take it out of the freezer and pour it into a pre-chilled bowl, then beat until l the mixture is smooth removing any ice crystals.

Once you have beaten the mixture, return it to the freezer container, cover it with foil and then re-freeze. The time it will take to freeze your homemade ice cream will depend on the amount of mixture, and the ingredients and the type of freezer container used.

Once the mixture has completely frozen, return your freezer temperature the normal setting.

Make your ice cream in advance as it needs a day or two to develop its flavour - or to 'ripen'

Cream based ice creams will keep for up to one month but after that time will begin to lose their texture and flavour.

Often the best homemade ice cream recipes is the one that is the most simple - and it is the old fashioned homemade ice cream recipes that are often the most simple These are all free recipe for homemade ice cream, so try them out today!

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

This is a simple recipe chocolate homemade ice cream that will have you coming back for seconds and thirds!

1 quart of cream
1 pint of milk
1/2 pound of sugar
4 ounces of chocolate
1 teaspoonful of vanilla or 1/4 of a vanilla bean
1/4 of a teaspoonful of cinnamon

Directions for making homemade chocolate ice-cream : Grate the chocolate, put it in a double boiler with the milk; stir until hot, and add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and one pint of the cream. When cold, freeze as per freezing instructions. Once frozen, remove, sit to room temperature for a few minutes, and stir in the remaining pint of the cream whipped to a stiff froth. Re-freeze for a few hours before serving

HOMEMADE PEACH ICE CREAM RECIPE

This recipe for homemade peach icecream makes a delightful summertime treat that will be a hit with everyone.

6 ounces of sugar
1 quart of cream
1 can of peaches or
1 quart of fresh peaches

If fresh peaches are used then use an extra quarter of a pound of sugar. Put half of the cream and all the sugar over a low heat in a double boiler and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Take from the heat and, when cold, add in the remaining cream. Turn the mixture into the freezer, and follow the freezing instructions. Then, when frozen fairly stiff, add the apricots after having been pressed through a colander.

This quantity should serve ten persons.

HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY ICECREAM RECIPE

This recipe for homemade blueberry ice cream is an absolute winner. I might be a little biased here because I am partial to a juicy blueberry - making this ice cream just gives me a excuse to scoff a few extra berries when no-one is looking!

4 cups of milk
6 egg yolks, separated
1/2 a cup of sugar
1/2 a cup of fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon of vanilla
a pinch of salt

Place the milk in a pot and, gently warming, heat the milk but don't allow it to quite reach a boil. Beat the egg yolks with sugar and salt then, add the milk to the egg mixture a little at a time and then strain into the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water until mixture coats spoon. Let the mixture cool, add the vanilla and freeze as per "FREEZING HOMEMADE ICE CREAM IN THE FREEZER" directions as shown on this page. When almost frozen stir through the blueberries. This will make a wonderful ice cream, but not too rich.

LEMON COCONUT ICE CREAM

1 cup of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup of castor sugar
2 teaspoons lemon rind
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 cup of desiccated coconut
1 1/2 cups of Evaporated milk

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and lemon rind until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Freeze as per freezing instructions. Serve in a dessert glass topped with toasted shredded coconut. Place in the freezer until ready to serve

RICH SIMPLE VANIILLA ICE CREAM RECIPE:

There are many recipes for homemade vanilla ice cream, but this one is a hard act to follow. It's also probably the most easy vanilla ice cream recipe that I have seen.

1 1/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups of Evaporated milk
1 cup of cream
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

How to make homemade vanilla ice cream: Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into freezing container or mold and place in freezer and following freezing instructions. Allow to freeze for 1 to 2 hours, or until ready to serve

RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE DIET ICE CREAM

This is a delicious low fat ice cream recipe that will have you coming back for seconds. If you are feeling adventurous try substituting different fruits in place of the strawberries, such as raspberries, blueberries etc.

2 cups of low-fat strawberry yoghurt
2 cups of fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups of low fat Evaporated milk
2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Directions for making diet ice-cream: Place all of the ingredients in an electric blender and blend until a smooth consistency. Pour the cream mixture into a shallow freezing container and freeze as per freezing instructions. Extra strawberries may be added to the mixture for presentation.

WALNUT ICE CREAM

1 quart of cream
1/2 pound of sugar
1 teaspoonful of vanilla
1 teaspoonful of caramel
1/2 pint of black walnut meats

Put the sugar and half the cream over the flame in a double boiler; when the sugar is dissolved, stand it aside to cool. When cold, add the remaining cream, the walnuts, chopped, and the flavouring, and freeze as per the freezing instructions

PASSIONFRUIT ICE CREAM

This is a very easy homemade ice cream recipe , and if you love passionfruit you will adore this ice-cream in all its homemade glory

2 cups of Passionfruit Yoghurt
1 1/2 cups of sweetened condensed Milk
1/2 a cup of passionfruit pulp (about 6 passionfruit)
3 tablespoons of lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour all ingredients into a freezing container and freeze as per freezing instructions. Freeze in freezer for several hours before serving

GINGER AND APRICOT ICE CREAM

1 cup of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 a cup of castor sugar
Approximately 1/3 a cup of ginger syrup (drained from preserved ginger)
1 1/2 cups of Evaporated milk
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Can of apricot halves, drained and syrup reserved
1 cup of preserved ginger pieces

Beat cream cheese, sugar and ginger syrup until smooth. Add in the evaporated milk, lemon juice and apricot syrup. Mix well and place in the freezer. Chop up the apricots and ginger. Fold through semi-frozen mixture and place back in freezer several hours before serving.

PLUM PUDDING ICE CREAM

1 1/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk
1 cup of milk
1/4 a teaspoon of mixed spice
Jar of rice fruity mincemeat.

Combine all ingredients, except fruit mincemeat, and mix well. Pour into freezing container and freeze as per freezing instructions. Fold fruit mincemeat through semi frozen mixture and place in freezer for 1 -2 more hours before serving.

CHERRY ICE CREAM

2 cups of Cherry yoghurt
1 1/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Can of pitted cherries, drained and syrup reserved
2 tablespoons of kirsch

Combine the yoghurt, condensed milk, lemon juice, syrup from cherries and kirsch. Pour into freezing mold and freeze as per freezing direction. Stir cherries through semi-frozen mixture and place back in freezer for several hours.

BRANDIDED BUTTERSCOTCH ICE CREAM

Small packet of butterscotch instant pudding
1 1/2 cups of Evaporated milk
1 cup of reduced cream
1 tablespoon of cognac or brandy
1/2 a cup of caramel flavoured syrup/topping

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour in freezing dish and freezer as per the freezing direction. Freeze for several hours before eating.

TASTY ORANGE ICE CREAM

This is a really basic ice cream recipe , but one that is not short on flavour!

2 cups of natural yoghurt
1/2 a cup of orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons of finely grated orange rind

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour cream

Nuts make fantastic additions to ice creams, almonds and pistachios being two very popular nuts used in ice cream quite often. Underrated and underused are Hazelnuts, which can be roasted at 400°F (200°C) for 14 minutes, which will improve their texture (makes them more crunchy) and strengthens their flavour.

Macadamia nut ice cream is another personal favourite as are fruit and nut ice cream and banana nut ice cream.

To me having nuts on ice cream or nuts in ice cream seems like such a wonderful extravagance - a meal fit for a king!

When adding fruits to your homemade ice cream it is best to use fresh fruits in the summer and canned unsweetened fruits in the winter. Make the most of seasonal fruits - natural fruit ice cream often tastes the best

When using fresh-fruit in your ice creams try to use very ripe fruits with a marked aroma, otherwise, the flavours tend not to develop enough to come through

If sweetened canned fruits (pureed or otherwise) must be used, then ensure to reduce the quantity of sugar given in the recipe. When acidic fruits are used in the recipes (such as oranges, lemons etc) then they should be added to the cream mixture after it has been partly frozen.

There are many forms in which you can use fruit in ice creams, apart from the canned and fresh fruit you can also use jams, preserves, stewed fruits. Frozen fruits also work well when you want to try and make something that's not in season. Berry fruits frequently make the most scrumptious ice creams, and often have shortest seasons, so buying a frozen packet of blueberries or raspberries might be the way to go.

If you are still unsure on how to make ice cream with fruit, you could just use fruit paste for ice cream, which can make a wonderful natural fruit ice cream, but without the stress.

Liqueurs and spirits will often compliment ice cream. The alcohol will slow the freezing, so try to add it in towards the end of the freezing process. Pouring a drizzle over the top can make a great topping. Extracts and essences can also be used to help flavour your ice cream. Essences are synthetic flavourings whilst extracts the real thing, and often much more potent.

To enrich ice creams eggs are often used. A lot of people ask why is there egg in ice cream, or prefer egg free ice cream for allergy reasons, which is fine, but they do make a quick, delightfully light and very easy ice cream. Often only egg yolks are used - especially in custard-based ice cream although some ice creams that are not custard based do have egg whites mixed through them.

To incorporate the egg whites into any homemade ice cream recipe mixture simply whip them so that they form soft peaks and then fold gently into the nearly set ice cream mixture.

Custard ice cream, or custard based ice creams, is in fact a flavoured egg custard, which is then frozen. The difference between custard and ice cream is that one is cream based, and the other is custard based. To make a good frozen custard ice cream it is important that you understand the basics of custard making.

1. Beat the yolks and sugar together until, when lifting the whisk above the mixture, it leaves a pale and light ribbon frail

2. Warm up the milk in the saucepan until it begins to rise. Then, immediately remove the pan from the heat.

3. Pour a tiny bit of the hot milk on top of the yolk mixture, beating all the time. Then pour into milk pan and place over medium flame and gently whisk, , making sure the whisk. Do not boil the mixture or your custard will curdle. Continue to cook until the custard thickens up then cool to room temperature.

To make custard based homemade ice cream , you should make the custard with egg yolks, keeping the whites separate for other recipes that require them (such as a pavlova!).

Ice cream custard that is made with the yolks will give a rich and creamier result.

To make good homemade ice cream custard it is important to choose the correct type of saucepan. A heavy-based pan, and if possible with sloping sides, is the best. These saucepans, which are specially designed for sauce making, should be available at any good cookware shop. The sloping sides allow the whisk to get right into the perimeter of the pan.

Ensure all saucepans are thoroughly washed out with cold water before you begin. Do not dry it, as this prevents the fats in the milk from sticking to the sides of the pan, and so allows for easier cleaning.

There are plenty of old fashioned homemade custard ice cream maker recipes available on the net, often for free - just do a Google search.

If your custard curdles all is not lost - without delay drop one or two ice blocks into the mixture, and whisk briskly, which will decrease the heat in the over-heated custard and will soften the lumps.

1. Before proceeding you should always thoroughly read the manufacturer's operational instructions. The commercial ice cream makers usually being electric version, certainly takes the hard work out
of hand crank ice cream churning so if you are familiar with, or have used an old fashioned ice cream churn before, you will be comfortable with an electric version.

2. If it is your intention to store the newly made ice creams in your freezer, then ensure that the freezer is turned up (or is that down?) to the coldest setting, before you begin preparations on your ice cream churn recipe.

3. Follow your chosen icecream churn recipe up to the point of churning, and then allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator.

4. In the refrigerator or freezer, cool the metal container

5. Prepare ice and measure salt.

6. Into the cooled container, pour in the cold mixture, ensuring the level of the Ice cream keeps below the fill line so the ingredients will have room to enlarge during the ice cream churn processing period.

7. Into the container insert the dasher and make sure that the shaft engages in the recess in the bottom of the container, then place the canister lid on top and lower container into ice bucket.

8. Fill your ice bucket about one third full with the prepared ice cubes and pour approximately one third of the salt over top of the ice cubes. Repeat these two layers twice, with the salt ending on top. Once the mixture start to freeze and expand the motor will probably slow. Processing should take somewhere between approximately 30 to 50 minutes, depending on the particular ice cream churn recipe that you are making. After 50 minutes the ice and salt will have lost most of its cooling capacity and the maximum amount of freeze will have occurred.

9. Tum the power off on your icecream churn and then remove the plug before unfastening the ice cream container.

10. Now you can mature your ice-cream, a process known as ripening. Place the ice cream in a covered and airtight container in the coldest part of the freezer. Shallow, metal dishes work best. Ripening of your homemade ice-cream can take up to one or two hours depending on how efficient your freezer is.

11. Serve your ice cream and enjoy! Don't forget to read my ice cream serving suggestions above for some novel ways to serve your homemade ice cream. If you are looking for ways to make homemade ice cream without ice-cream maker, then refer to further directions on this page.

If you are thinking of buying a bench top ice cream churn, or already have purchased one, it is important to understand how your churn operates. In much the same way as an antique ice cream churn works, the electric version throws some of the mixture against the sides of the canister, which is immersed in salt and ice which then lowers the temperature of the ice cream mixture as it coagulates. The dasher scrapes the sides of the container, which then mixes the solidifying ice cream in with the rest of the mixture. This helps to keep the mixture smooth, resulting in a creamy homemade old fashioned ice cream.

1. Thoroughly read the manufacturers instructions, and make sure you understand. Turn your freezer down to the lowest setting, and chill the metal canister. Measure the salt and prepare the ice.

2. Then prepare your homemade ice-cream mixture in accordance to the instructions and, once done, chill

3. Pour the cooled ice cream mixture into the chilled canister; do not overfill to allow for expansion during the churning process. Then insert the dasher, ensure it is aligned as per the manufacturers instructions, and clamp down the head.

4.Take the ice bucket and fill it one third full with crushed ice or ice cubes. Disperse one third of the measured quantity of salt over the top of the ice. Repeat these two layers two more time, resulting with the salt on top. Then begin to turn the crank, slowly at first for a few minutes. Then, speed the turning up a little, but never turn too enthusiastically, as it can make the ice cream become too granular. It can take about 15 to 20 minutes for a hand-cranked ice cream to solidify. As well a feeling the texture developing and you should also be able see the ice cream through the clear lid so you will recognize when it the mixture is ready for ripening,

6. Releasing the crank head, carefully remove the canister, its cover and dasher. Scrape the contents into an ice cream container, or into a ice-cream mold of your choice, rinsed out with cold water,

10. Now you should 'ripen' your ice-cream in the freezer for a few hours before serving, or leave it overnight (if you can wait that long!). Enjoy.

In year's gone by, hand crank ice cream churning was a favourite summer activity in which everyone would take a turn turning the crank. These old fashioned ice cream makers could be hard work, but the results were well worth the effort. There are a lot of electric commercial ice cream makers available today, but if you can get your hands on an antique ice cream churn id recommend it as they are a lot of fun. To use a hand crank ice cream churn you need to know a few things:

As the ice level drops in your antique ice cream churn ice cream churn add more ice and rock salt to keep the inner container immersed.

Many old fashioned churns have a hole for letting out water, so pour off extra water as required as the water tends to expedite the process - if you freeze you homemade icecream too fast can result in the formation of ice crystals)

Hand crank churned ice cream tastes better fresh; although you can freeze it in home freezer (refer to instructions on this elsewhere on this page)

Put a towel over the top and let the ice cream sit for a half hour or so after the ice cream is ready.

Firm up the ice cream by putting a towel over the top of your old fashioned ice cream maker and letting it sit for half an hour.

Almost any homemade ice cream with churn recipe can be modified or used in an old-fashioned ice cream churn. Don't be afraid to experiment - that's half the fun!

Wipe the top of the ice cream canister before opening to remove the chance of any salt or salt water dripping into your homemade ice cream.

There are many homemade ice cream makers (or ice-cream freezers) available on the market, so choosing one can be a difficult task. I tend to look at the ones without all the bells and whistles as they are cheaper, and so less chance that there will be something faulty. Whether you have an automatic ice cream maker or a manual ice cream maker will depend on what brand that you have purchased - refer to your ice cream maker instructions.

I frequently see homemade icecream makers are marketed as kids ice cream makers, but hey - I like making ice cream, and I aint no kid!

Quite often recipes for ice cream makers can be found accompanying your commercial ice cream maker, but if you have tried all these out and are feeling a little more adventurous you can find more ice cream maker recipes at Cuisine Cookery