Did you know you can make ice cream at home without an ice cream maker? In fact, sitting in my freezer right now is a delicious tropical concoction waiting for willing gourmands! If you’re not familiar with the still freeze method of making ice cream–you should try it.
Ice cream is fun to make with kids. However, I do have to warn you that obviously the results are not immediate. Ice cream using the still freeze method takes at least two days to finish freezing. But I don’t think there’s anything better than real ice cream. The other thing I like about making my own ice cream is that you can make it a smidgen healthier by adding real fruit, wheat germ or some other sneaky ingredient that oozes healthful benefits.
The Still Freeze Method
You can use this method with any ice cream recipe that you find. You need to either use shallow baking pans or a container specifically designed for still freezing ice cream. Mine is small and has liquid in the sides of a metal bowl. When the liquid freezes, it helps the freezing process.
To make still freeze ice cream you put the ingredients together as directed, and then put the mixture in the freezer for about 45 minutes. Usually by this time, the sides are frozen. Take it out, give it a quick stir to mix the frozen and liquid parts together and put it back in the freezer for another 45 minutes. Again, when the sides are frozen, take it out and mix it together. Basically, you will be taking it out every 45 minutes to stir it, until it is mostly frozen.
I like to stir mine with an old fashioned egg beater. This will yield smoother results. Still freezing ice cream will not give you ice cream that is as smooth as what you would buy. But I think that the fun of picking your own ingredients out weighs the texture any day. The more thoroughly you stir it when you take it out by the way, the smoother it will be.
Look soon for some ice cream recipes that you can still freeze! In the meantime you can try these excellent recipes out on your new ice cream maker (of sorts):
Straw Hat Cupcakes with Homemade Ice Cream