Published: July 02, 2009 03:44 pm      

Nothing like some nice, cold, homemade Ice Cream

As National Ice Cream Month arrives, here are some helpful hints to make your batch ‘the best ever’

Thursday, July 2, 2009 — Just take a look at some of the name brand ice creams — you will see ingredients like whey protein concentrate, mono and diglycerides, guar gum, sodium phosphate, cellulose gum, sodium citrate, polysorbate 30, carrageenan, artificial flavor, annatto, tons of preservatives and artificial ingredients that you can’t even pronounce.

When people try homemade ice cream there are responses like “this is the best ice cream I have ever tasted.”

This is because while commercial ice cream uses a lot of artificial ingredients and preservatives, homemade ice cream uses only fresh ingredients.

Homemade ice cream is very easy to make and requires only five or six ingredients. This means that when you make your own ice cream you know exactly what is going into it. The freshness of your ingredients will determine the taste. The taste of seasonal fresh fruit in a homemade ice cream is amazing and is unlike anything you will ever get in a carton. And during the cold winter months, there are tons of year round spices and ingredients that also make great ice cream.

Although it can be made from just a few ingredients — cream, milk, eggs, sugar and flavorings — there is something extra-special about homemade ice cream.

When making ice cream, remember, everything should be cold, freezer bowl, utensils, ingredients. The bowls of most ice cream makers take at least 24 hours to freeze. Get in the habit of storing the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer, wrapped tightly in a plastic bag. That way it’s always ready to go.

The “batter” for your ice cream can never be too cold.

Making homemade ice cream is a fun and delicious pastime for many people. Anyone can learn how to make homemade ice cream. It is great for parties, gifts to friends or just as a tasty dessert for yourself. The thing about homemade ice cream is that you can be as creative as you want and can make any flavor you crave.

Start with a simple ice cream base and mix in the ripest summer fruits, high-quality chocolate (whether melted and/or cut into chunks), or toasted nuts to create your own flavors.

To add perfectly ripe fruits and berries to your ice cream base, sprinkle fruit with sugar and crush it with a potato masher before mixing it in. This adds much more flavor than plain chunks of fruit stirred into the mix.

Herbs and spices should be infused into the mixture as you heat the milk. Vanilla beans, lavender, green tea, fresh peppermint and candied ginger are all good choices.

Extracts, liqueurs and flavoring oils (citrus, peppermint, cinnamon) should be added after the custard has cooled slightly.

To add nuts, chocolate, crumbled cookies or whole berries, let the ice cream reach the consistency of soft-serve, and then stir in the garnishes; pack in airtight containers and freeze until firm.

Tips for Homemade

Ice Cream Success

Chill it in the fridge overnight.

Don’t overfill your ice cream maker. Three-quarters full yields the best results. It might look a little empty, but if you fill the bowl up to the top, the ice cream won’t aerate properly.

No matter what the recipe’s instructions say, when tempering egg yolks for custard-based ice creams, never pour more than 3 or 4 tablespoons of hot cream into the yolks before whisking them back into the cream. And go very slowly. Nothing is worse than creating an accidental scramble.

Add extracts (vanilla, maple, almond, etc.) after the ice cream batter has cooled, but before churning, for the best flavor.

Add mix-ins, such as chocolate chips, nuts and candy pieces, for only the last minute of churning. The ice cream should already be done. You just want to distribute the mix-ins evenly.

Shallow, flat containers are best for freezing and storing ice cream. While in America ice cream is usually sold in tall round containers, in Italy gelato is kept in low, rectangular ones, which promotes an even consistency.

To prevent ice crystals from forming, cover the surface with a layer of plastic wrap or wax paper before closing the container.

To make a single serving of delicious ice cream try this recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup half-and-half cream

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries

4 cups ice cubes

4 tablespoons kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the half and half, sugar, vanilla and strawberries in a quart size resealable plastic bag. Press the air out of the bag, seal and shake bag to combine contents. Place the bag into a gallon sized zip top bag. Add the ice to the gallon bag, press the air out and seal bag.

2. Wrap bags in a hand towel. Shake continuously, until the contents of the small bag thickens into soft-serve ice cream, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Rinse the small bag quickly under cold water to wash off salt. Lay the ice cream filled baggie on a flat surface. Use a wooden spoon handle to push the ice cream down to the bottom corner of the baggie. Snip off the corner, and squeeze ice cream into a bowl.

Homemade ice creams keep well for up to a week. After that, they begin to lose their flavor and creamy texture. Eat quickly — you can always make more.





Making Homemade

Ice Cream Without Using Raw Eggs



With Summer and warm weather here, most of us like to enjoy homemade ice cream for a nutritious and cool dessert. Even those who want to reduce sugar can use a non-nutritive sweetener and make one of these delicious desserts.

Many of the old fashioned recipes used raw eggs; be sure to protect yourself from the danger of possible Salmonella infection by using a homemade ice cream recipe made with a cooked egg base, commercial pasteurized egg substitutes or without eggs.

Egg mixtures used in making cooked bases for ice cream are safe if they reach 160°F when tested with a thermometer. At this temperature, the mixture should coat a metal spoon.

Here are three possible recipes for you.



Eggless Vanilla

Ice Cream

2 cups Milk

1 cup Sugar

2 cups Whipping Cream or Half-and-Half

2 teaspoons Vanilla

Combine ingredients and stir briskly about two minutes until sugar is dissolved. (Undissolved sugar crystals may be a cause of large ice crystal formation.) Pour into a 1-gallon ice cream freezer can and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.



Frozen Custard

Ice Cream

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 quarts

6 Eggs

2 cups Milk

3/4 cup Sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons Honey

1/4 teaspoon Salt

2 cups Whipping Cream

1 tablespoon Vanilla

Crushed Ice

Rock Salt

In medium saucepan, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, honey, and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and reaches at least 160°F. Cool quickly by setting pan in ice or cold water and stirring for a few minutes.

Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour. When ready to freeze, pour chilled custard, whipping cream, and vanilla into 1-gallon ice cream freezer can. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions using 6 parts ice to 1 part rock salt.

Transfer to freezer containers and freeze until firm.



VARIATIONS:



Banana Nut: Reduce vanilla to 1 1/2 teaspoons. Cook and cool as above. Stir 3 large ripe bananas (mashed) and 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans into custard mixture. Freeze as above.



Cherry: Reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon. Add 2 tablespoons almond extract. Cook and cool as above. Partially freeze. Add 2 pounds pitted pureed dark sweet fresh cherries OR 1 can (16 to 17 oz.) pitted dark sweet cherries, drained and chopped. Complete freezing.



Chocolate: Add 3 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate to egg mixture. Cook, cool, and freeze as above.



Strawberry: Omit vanilla. Cook and cool as above. Partially freeze. Add 2 cups sweetened crushed fresh strawberries. Complete freezing.



Egg Beaters

Ice Cream

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

2 cups Cold Whole Milk

2 cups Cold Whipping Cream

1/2 cup Egg Beaters

2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract

Combine sugar, milk, cream, egg product, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Freeze at least 4 hours.



Recipes provided by Susan M. Morgan, District Extension Associate, EFNEP, NC Cooperative Extension. If you have other questions about this topic contact the NC Cooperative Extension by calling (704) 983-3987.