Making ice cream at home is one of the easiest and most fun activities for kids to participate in or do on their own. Making ice cream with bags is perfect for this purpose. On the other hand, if you want to make creamy, rich-tasting ice cream, make ice cream from milk pudding as a professional ice cream maker would. While generally requiring you to stir a lot without the aid of a machine, there are a few tricks in the guide below that can help you reduce it and even avoid it altogether.
Ingredients
Ice Cream in a Bag (one serving):
- 1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sugar
- about 4 cups (960 ml) crushed ice
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) rock salt
Milk Pudding Ice Cream (1 liter):
- 5–8 large egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla stick)
- 1 cup (240 ml) evaporated milk (or whole milk)
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream (or half and half)
Step
Method 1 of 2: Making Ice Cream in Ice Cream Bags or Balls
Step 1. Use this recipe for fun and simple ice cream making
The ice cream made with this recipe doesn't contain egg yolks, so it's less fatty and creamy than the ice cream you might normally eat. However, this ice cream is easy and quick to make, especially if 1 or 2 of your friends are helping out. Kids usually love to make this ice cream because most of the process involves shaking or shaking.
Step 2. Puree the ice
You can buy crushed ice or make your own from ice cubes. Put the ice in a plastic bag and gently hit a wooden hammer against the bag to crush the ice inside. Alternatively, use a high-power food processor to crush the ice in short vibrations.
Step 3. Fill half a large container with crushed ice
Use a large container that can be tightly closed so it doesn't open easily when shaken. You can also purchase "ice cream balls" that are sturdy and fun to throw to use in this step, but you can use a 4 liter clip bag or large plastic container as another option.
The container used must be large enough to accommodate the ice cream mixture along with the ice flakes. Use an even larger container if the ingredients in your recipe are doubling
Step 4. Mix rock salt with ice by shaking it
Add 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of rock salt to the ice, cover the container, and shake until they are combined. As strange as it may seem, rock salt will actually cool the ice! The ice cream won't freeze in a container of regular ice, but the salt will create the lower temperature needed.
- Rock salt is sometimes sold as "ice cream salt".
- Regular table salt can also be used, however, the finer grains of salt will lower the temperature more quickly, resulting in uneven freezing of the ice cream.
Step 5. Pour the milk, sugar and vanilla extract into a new clip bag
Pour in 1 cup (240 ml) of milk, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of vanilla extract. Pour all ingredients into a 1 liter clip bag.
- For a fatter ice cream, use half-and-half or heavy cream instead of milk.
- Pour this mixture indoors in an ice cream ball without adding any ice, if you are using one. Proceed directly to the shuffling step.
Step 6. Close the clip bag tightly after removing the remaining air
Hold the bag up or ask someone else to hold it. Remove as much air as possible from the bag, starting from the top of the material to the mouth of the bag. Use the clip to close the bag tightly.
The more air left in the bag, the more likely it is to open the bag when you make ice cream
Step 7. Cover the ice cream mixture with the second bag of clips
Open one more clip pocket the same size as the first, or bigger. Place the clip bag containing the ice cream mixture in this second bag, then seal it tightly in the same way. The ice cream should be shaken while it freezes, and using two bags will prevent it from spilling if the first bag tears during the shake.
Step 8. Place the bag containing the ice cream mixture into the ice jar
Close the largest container tightly. This container should now contain a double layered bag of ice cream and crushed ice along with rock salt.
Step 9. Shake the container until the ice cream is ready to be enjoyed
Shake the container vigorously, or if the container is firm and tight enough, shake it back and forth. This movement will prevent the formation of ice clumps, and introduce a little air into the ice cream to reduce its density. The ice cream may take 5-20 minutes to freeze, depending on the temperature, the strength of the whisk, and the texture of the ice cream you prefer. It may take longer if you make more ice cream.
- Wrap a towel around the container or wear gloves if the container feels too cold to handle.
- If the ice cream isn't ready after 20 minutes, add more ice and salt, or put it in the freezer for no more than 5 minutes.
Step 10. Wipe the ice cream bag before opening it
Once the texture of the ice cream is to your liking, remove the ice cream bag from the large container. Use a dish towel to remove any remaining salt water from the outside of the bag or rinse the bag briefly under cold running water. Now that you're safe from salt, open the bag and pour the ice cream into another container. You can also enjoy this single serving of ice cream right out of the bag.
Method 2 of 2: Making Ice Cream from Milk Pudding
Step 1. Use this recipe to make fatty and creamy ice cream
If you want to make thick, fatty vanilla ice cream, you'll have to put in more effort than making bagged ice cream. This ice cream also takes a few hours to freeze, so it's best to start making it in the morning if you want to enjoy it at night.
Step 2. Separate 5-8 egg yolks
You will need at least 5 large egg yolks to make ice cream custard. Alternatively, you can use 6, 7, or 8 egg yolks to make creamier custard and ice cream.
- If the eggs you are using are small, separate 1 more yolk. Use egg yolks as in the recipe when in doubt about the size of the eggs.
- Raw egg whites can be frozen for later use.
Step 3. Beat egg yolks, salt and sugar
Place the egg yolks in a large bowl or in the bowl of a mixer. Add 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) of salt and 1 cup (240 ml) of sugar. Whisk until it turns a pale yellow color, doesn't clump or speckled, and forms a long braid when lifted into the air.
You can reduce the amount of added sugar to 3/4 cup (180 ml) to make it less sweet. However, reducing the sugar even more will make the ice cream lumpy when frozen
Step 4. Prepare the ice bath
Fill half a large bowl with ice or ice water so that the other bowl can still fit in it. You will use this ice bath to finish making the custard so there is no risk of freezing it.
Alternatively, you can chill 2 cups (480 ml) heavy or half-and-half cream in a small bowl and dry in an ice bath. If not, put it in the fridge
Step 5. Heat 1 cup (240 ml) of evaporated milk to a boil
Evaporated milk is milk in which most of the water content has been evaporated. This milk is suitable for making ice cream because it can minimize the number of ice crystals that form. That way, you don't have to stir too often and too vigorously.
If evaporated milk is not available, use whole milk (full-fat milk) instead. Milk with a lower fat content will not give a strong taste and reduce the thickness of the ice cream
Step 6. Add vanilla
Add 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of vanilla extract to the milk and stir. Alternatively, split the vanilla stalks equally wide and remove the sticky seeds from them and dip them into the milk. For the strongest vanilla flavor, you can add whole vanilla sticks to the milk mixture, cover, and let the flavors infuse for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla stems before continuing.
You don't have to wait if you use vanilla extract
Step 7. Slowly mix the hot milk with the egg mixture
Slowly pour the hot milk into the eggs while continuing to beat them. Be careful not to pour in too much milk at a time as the heat can turn this custard into beaten eggs.
Step 8. Reheat the milk and egg mixture until it thickens
Return the milk and egg mixture to the stove and heat over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the stove when the texture is thick like pudding.
Being careful not to overheat the mixture, remove it from the heat immediately if you notice any lumps, overcooked eggs, or charred milk
Step 9. Cool the custard mixture
Transfer the mixture again to a container that can go into the ice bath without filling with water. Place the container in the ice bath and let it cool while you proceed to the next step.
Remove your chilled cream in the ice bath before adding the custard to it
Step 10. Beat the heavy cream in a separate bowl
Beat in 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream or substitute half-and-half for a less-fat ice cream. You may have to beat by hand for a few minutes, or shorter if you use an electronic mixer to create a foamy cream that is twice the volume of the original. Do not beat too long until the mixture forms whipped cream.
Step 11. Fold the cream into the egg
Once the cream is whipped and the custard has cooled, mix the two together. Use a rubber spatula or other flat utensil to fold the cream into the milk mixture. Continue until there are no more lumps in it.
Step 12. Freeze in an ice tin to prevent lumps
If you have a clean ice cream pan, fill it with the mixture and then place it in the freezer. In this way, the surface of the ice cream will be exposed to more cold temperatures so that it freezes faster, and this will prevent the formation of large ice crystals. The time it takes to freeze ice cream is usually about 4 hours.
To shape the ice cream as usual, remove the frozen ice cream from the ice cream pan with a spoon and mix it in a food processor. Transfer to a large container then freeze
Step 13. Alternatively, freeze the ice cream in a large container and stir frequently
The more traditional machine-less manufacture of ice cream is to freeze it in a single container. However, if you use plain milk instead of evaporated milk, large ice crystals will form and spoil the texture of the ice cream, resulting in an uneven taste. To crush these crystals, you will need to periodically remove the ice cream and mix it vigorously with your hands or an electronic mixer:
- Stir the ice cream after about half an hour, before the center freezes. Stir again until the ice cream mixture is soft again.
- Stir the ice cream every half hour to smooth out the frosted edges and mix it in with the rest.
- Once the ice cream has frozen more evenly (usually about after 2-3 hours) allow it to freeze completely.
