Homemade ice cream is a delicious treat, especially in warmer weather. Normally made with an electric or traditional crank-style ice cream maker, homemade ice cream allows you to control the ingredients that go into the mixture as well as their quality. You can make homemade ice cream even if you don't have an ice cream maker. All you need are a few common household items and ingredients that are probably already sitting in your kitchen's cabinets.
In a Bag
Step 1
Pour your ice cream base mixture into a quart-size sealable bag. Start with a very cold ice cream base that has been refrigerated at least four hours, though overnight is better. Carefully seal the bag while removing as much air as possible.
Step 2
Place the sealed quart-sized bag inside a gallon sealable bag.
Step 3
Fill the space between the two bags with 2 cups ice and 1/2 cup rock salt. Seal the gallon bag tightly.
Step 4
Shake the bag for five to ten minutes, or until the ice cream base has turned into soft ice cream. Be careful when you open the ice cream bag to avoid getting melted saltwater into your ice cream.
Ice Cube Tray and Food Processor Method
Step 1
Pour your prepared ice cream base into an ice cube tray and freeze. Freezing your ice cream base in small cubes helps it to freeze quickly and decreases the amount of surface area exposed. This method reduces the formation of ice crystals which cause your ice cream to be hard and non-palatable.
Step 2
Freeze the base until solid. This could take six to eight hours, or overnight.
Step 3
Pop the ice cream cubes out of the trays and place them into a food processor.
Step 4
Pulse the food processor until you have a rich and creamy ice cream. If you use a recipe where whipped cream is folded into the ice cream base prior to freezing, omit the whipped cream from the base and simply pour the unwhipped cream into the food processor with the frozen cubes at the very end. With other recipes, simply pulse the cubes until you achieve a smooth consistency.
In a Coffee Can
Step 1
Pour your ice cream base into a clean coffee can and seal it tightly with the lid. For security, tape the lid onto the can with duct tape.
Step 2
Place the smaller coffee can into the larger one. Fill the larger coffee can with ice and ¾ cup rock salt.
Step 3
Seal the large coffee can with its lid; duct tape this lid as well.
Step 4
Shake or roll the coffee can for 10 minutes.
Step 5
Carefully remove the duct tape from both cans and check the contents of the inner can to ensure that the ice cream is frozen. If not, reseal and continue shaking or rolling for an additional five to 10 minutes. This job is well delegated to active children.
Tips and Warnings
- Experiment with different ice cream recipes and different flavorings to find one that suits your taste.
- If you're using a recipe that includes eggs, it is best to use a pasteurized egg substitute or heat the eggs to 140 degrees Fahrenheit over a double boiler for three and a half minutes to prevent salmonella food poisoning.
Things You'll Need
- Ice cream base mixture
- Sealable storage bags, 1 quart size and 1 gallon size
- Rock salt
- Ice cube trays
- Food processor
- Ice
- Two coffee cans, one slightly smaller than the other
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