thanks, Ann, for this fun post. I love to hear about people learning the pleasure of homemade ice cream. For decades, I've been making all our ice cream in a Cuisinart ice cream maker. Unless I'm making gelato, I usually use the "custard" recipe (4 organic egg yolks). Over the years, I've altered the method to make it even easier, but the instructions in this blog will work just fine. My neighbors call me the "Ice Cream Queen," because it's so delicious. The best part is that I can alter the ingredients (a bit less sugar, mix-ins, and unusual pairings) and use organic ingredients while avoiding all the commercial additives and gums. I try to keep some ice cream in my freezer for emergency desserts. That means I make a batch about every week, sometimes more often. Homemade ice cream can become icy in storage--Ann, you might want to share your bounty because it's better eaten within a week or so of making. Commercial ice cream machines are much colder, like flash freezing, so the ice crystals don't form as easily and the additives must help too. Be sure your ice cream mix is well chilled (overnight is best). One delicious way to reduce the iciness is to add 1 TBSP of some kind of alcohol (vodka, liqueur, rum, bourbon, vanilla, or a combination) to the chilled mix before putting it into the machine. Give homemade ice cream a try. Become your neighborhood's queen!
Ann - thank you so much for all this info!!! I have shared some of my bounty but I really had A LOT. I find if I let it sit out a bit, it gets all soft and yummy again. I love the idea of adding a little alcohol. Fun adult dessert!!
I just made ice cream for the first time a few weeks ago and now am addicted—SO much easier than I had imagined.
I enjoyed reading your piece and would love to visit the Farm Institute on Martha’s Vineyard. It sounds like a blast! Thanks for the cool (literally!) story.
Thanks so much Ruth! The ice cream is remarkably easy to make! And so addictively delicious. I love that you are also writing about making ice cream. Great minds and all of that....
This looks so cool. I grew up on a small farm in New Jersey. We had one cow — her name was Cow Beauty, and she was very deserving of that name. Every morning & evening, before & after going to his day job, my father milked her (often with my help, starting at age 5). My mother pasteurized the milk in big pot on the kitchen stove. (Her thermometer was about two feet long!). In the summer, she would save a bit of each day's cream, and then on Saturday night we would pick peaches from our peach tree (Mom would blanche them) and strawberries & raspberries from the patches in the foundations of barns that hadn't existed for a century or so, and we would make the best tasting ice cream that has ever existed on this planet using a little hand-cranked ice cream maker.
As you can imagine, all ice cream that I have ever tasted since the day the town took the farm by eminent domain to put a high school on it, and Cow Beauty left for her eternal reward, all ice cream has disappointed me.
John - what a great story. I could see you and your family cranking and churning always. While you will never again be able to enjoy Cow Beauty's cream, you can easily make your own. And it magically no longer requires hand-cranking.
The FARM Institute is such a treasure!
Just made the strawberry version and OMGOSH. (Thanks for the earlier tip--extra strawberries!)
Delicious! And so much fun!
thanks, Ann, for this fun post. I love to hear about people learning the pleasure of homemade ice cream. For decades, I've been making all our ice cream in a Cuisinart ice cream maker. Unless I'm making gelato, I usually use the "custard" recipe (4 organic egg yolks). Over the years, I've altered the method to make it even easier, but the instructions in this blog will work just fine. My neighbors call me the "Ice Cream Queen," because it's so delicious. The best part is that I can alter the ingredients (a bit less sugar, mix-ins, and unusual pairings) and use organic ingredients while avoiding all the commercial additives and gums. I try to keep some ice cream in my freezer for emergency desserts. That means I make a batch about every week, sometimes more often. Homemade ice cream can become icy in storage--Ann, you might want to share your bounty because it's better eaten within a week or so of making. Commercial ice cream machines are much colder, like flash freezing, so the ice crystals don't form as easily and the additives must help too. Be sure your ice cream mix is well chilled (overnight is best). One delicious way to reduce the iciness is to add 1 TBSP of some kind of alcohol (vodka, liqueur, rum, bourbon, vanilla, or a combination) to the chilled mix before putting it into the machine. Give homemade ice cream a try. Become your neighborhood's queen!
Ann - thank you so much for all this info!!! I have shared some of my bounty but I really had A LOT. I find if I let it sit out a bit, it gets all soft and yummy again. I love the idea of adding a little alcohol. Fun adult dessert!!
So much fun...especially with my favorite ladies.
Exactly! Your strawberry was part of the pic:)
I just made ice cream for the first time a few weeks ago and now am addicted—SO much easier than I had imagined.
I enjoyed reading your piece and would love to visit the Farm Institute on Martha’s Vineyard. It sounds like a blast! Thanks for the cool (literally!) story.
Thanks so much Ruth! The ice cream is remarkably easy to make! And so addictively delicious. I love that you are also writing about making ice cream. Great minds and all of that....
So fun!!! Let’s do that in Miami Beach this fall!
Excellent idea! We will!
This looks so cool. I grew up on a small farm in New Jersey. We had one cow — her name was Cow Beauty, and she was very deserving of that name. Every morning & evening, before & after going to his day job, my father milked her (often with my help, starting at age 5). My mother pasteurized the milk in big pot on the kitchen stove. (Her thermometer was about two feet long!). In the summer, she would save a bit of each day's cream, and then on Saturday night we would pick peaches from our peach tree (Mom would blanche them) and strawberries & raspberries from the patches in the foundations of barns that hadn't existed for a century or so, and we would make the best tasting ice cream that has ever existed on this planet using a little hand-cranked ice cream maker.
As you can imagine, all ice cream that I have ever tasted since the day the town took the farm by eminent domain to put a high school on it, and Cow Beauty left for her eternal reward, all ice cream has disappointed me.
John - what a great story. I could see you and your family cranking and churning always. While you will never again be able to enjoy Cow Beauty's cream, you can easily make your own. And it magically no longer requires hand-cranking.
You will not be surprised to know that I eagerly read this. 10 pints not a year's supply. Sounds amazing. xo
well maybe in your ice-cream-centric household it's not a year's supply......:).