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March 25, 2024

Crank It Up! Homemade Ice Cream

By Cheryl Haimann

We didn't cook out a lot when I was a kid. Wrangling the big old kettle grill, huge bags of briquets, and a can of lighter fluid was a man's work, and Dad's work schedule was unpredictable. Usually, though, there would be at least one summer evening where all of the elements aligned and we got to have a cook out. The food wasn't fancy. While Dad grilled steaks, Mom boiled corn on the cob. The real highlight, though, was homemade ice cream.

In the days before electric ice cream freezers, everyone got in the act when it was time to make ice cream. Mom mixed up the ingredients, and Dad and the kids cranked the freezer. Even as a tiny tot, I could help by sprinkling a handful of pea-sized rock salt over the ice. As a treat, my brother and I would get to lick the paddle after it was removed from the freezer. We couldn't let it drip on the kitchen floor, after all.

The recipes below are some from Mom's recipe file, ones that I know we ate with gusto.

Disclaimers: These recipes are forty-plus years old, and are presented as written. They aren't going to tell you how to use an ice cream freezer. When it says "milk", it's assuming whole milk. If you try to make "healthier" substitutions for cream or white sugar, your results may range from Different to Disastrous. One of the recipes includes uncooked eggs. If you avoid uncooked eggs for health reasons, you'll need to find a substitution on your own.


Banana Nut Ice Cream

1 c. sugar
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1/4 t. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
2 pints whipping cream
3 bananas, chopped
About 1/2 cup nuts, chopped [we used pecans]

Combine ingredients in blender, not all at once. Put into 5 qt. freezer, add enough milk to fill - Freeze.
May use other fruit - candy bars, cookies, or whatever.


Three In One Sherbet

Juice of 3 oranges
Juice of 3 lemons
3 bananas, mashed
3 c. sugar
5 c. milk
Cream to fill gallon freezer 3/4 full

Mix juices, bananas, and sugar - add milk, mix well - Pour in freezer & freeze. Allow to mellow for 1 hour.


Peach Ice Cream

2 (tall cans) Carnation Milk
2 cups sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
short 1/4 teaspoon almond [extract]
5 cups peaches
2 cups milk
1 cup half & half

Add 1 cup sugar to the beaten eggs, then add the 2 cups of milk and the 1 cup of half & half. Mix 1 cup sugar with the Carnation, then mix the two together and add vanilla and almond. Put fresh peaches in the blender until you have 5 cups and add to the above mixture. Makes 1 gallon.

Article © Cheryl Haimann. All rights reserved.
Published on 2008-05-19
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