How do you make ice cream at home by hand?

Answer 1

The basic answer is to make an ice cream base and then freeze it in a way that allows the base to be stirred while freezing.

There are several tools used to freeze the ice cream. If you don't have or want to use an ice cream freezer, there is a method described below. Note that you'll find many recipes for ice cream base online if you don't like this one.

What you need

• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 beaten egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups chilled whipping cream
• Optional:

  2 cups fresh strawberries and extra ½ cup sugar

The cooking phase can be done a day or two ahead of time, so no one has to wait for the really fun part.

Set out all of the ingredients so everything is easily at hand.

Put the sugar, salt, and milk into the top pan of a double boiler. The water in the bottom part of the double boiler will boil, and the temperature will never rise above the boiling point of water. This ensures that we don't overcook the mixture, even if we get distracted.

Stir the 3 beaten egg yolks into the milk and sugar.

Cook the mixture over boiling water until you can see bubbles forming around the edges of the mixture.

The mixture is done when it is somewhat thick, and coats the spoon.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

When the custard has cooled, stir in the vanilla extract and the heavy whipping cream.

The fun part is about to begin. This is where having a bunch of kids to help is really nice.

Pour a cup of the ice cream mixture into a plastic zip-lock sandwich bag.

Zip the bag closed, and put it into another sandwich bag for safety, and zip that one closed as well.

Fill a gallon size food storage zip-lock bag about one third full of ice cubes. Add a cup of salt (we used rock salt, but any kind will do).

Zip the large bag closed, and wrap it in a towel to keep fingers from getting too cold.

Make a bag for everyone (this recipe will make enough for three or four servings, and you can double or quadruple the recipe if you are having a party).

Now have each person squish the little bag around in the salt and ice, making sure that the ice contacts the little bag as much as possible, and that the little bag gets lots of kneading, to keep the ice crystals tiny, so the ice cream is very smooth.

The kneading stage takes 10 minutes. You can let the ice cream sit in the ice for another 5 minutes if you like harder ice cream, although continuing to knead it for the extra 5 minutes is also OK to do if you're having fun.

You will know the ice cream is done by feeling the mixture become a paste instead of a liquid. When you take the little bag out of the ice, wipe off the salt water, and then remove the outer bag carefully, so you don't get salt in the ice cream. The little bag will stand up in the bowl, because it is a frozen paste.

You can spoon the ice cream into a bowl if you like, or just eat it out of the bag.

If you like strawberry ice cream, MASH 2 cups of strawberries with a half cup of sugar, and add a half cup to each small bag before closing it up and putting it in the ice.

The result is an amazingly delicious homemade ice cream.