Let's dive into the science of cooking with homemade vanilla ice cream. You can make it in a bag like we do in this recipe, or you can put it in cans and roll them in the ground to make a makeshift ice cream maker. In the end, it's just simple science! The same principle applies to both methods and it ends up being a fun activity to get kids involved in cooking and making a delicious meal. Roll up your sleeves for some summer fun with some 5 minute ice cream!
Check us out The best hot fudge sauce To take this yummy ice cream to the next level.
Why our recipe?
- An easy, fun activity for any age that makes a tasty treat.
- We'll teach you the science behind it!
Making ice cream at home is a great fun activity we did growing up that is full of delicious memories. Great for summer activities to keep kids busy, family reunions, summer camps, holiday parties and more.
Material notes
- Heavy Cream: It brings richness to the ice cream and the fat brings smoothness.
- Half and Half: All heavy cream will also prevent the ice cream from freezing and forming crystals. If you don't have half and half, you can substitute half a cup of heavy cream and half a cup of milk.
- Sugar: You have to have sweets!
- Vanilla Extract: It certainly tastes good!
- Ice Cubes: If your ice cream isn't frozen, add more ice to keep the energy flowing!
- Salt or ice cream salt: Either will work! Ice cream salt just makes science a little better.
science
This recipe is all about science. We put our ice cream ingredients in a bowl, put that bowl in a bag of ice, and then add salt to the ice to freeze the ice cream. But why?
The freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which water freezes. Our ice cream ingredients have a freezing point that is slightly lower, around 27 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. So how do we use salt to freeze our ice cream?
Adding salt to ice lowers the freezing point of water, causing the ice to melt. But why do you want to melt your ice to make ice cream? It's all about energy transfer. As the ice melts, it absorbs heat from the surroundings, including our ice cream mix. This absorption of energy lowers the temperature of the ice cream mixture, allowing it to freeze.
That's right, we can harness the cooling effect of melting ice to freeze our ice cream! It sounds like magic, but it's really the science of energy transfer. The technical term for this process is freezing point depression.
the movement
To get our ice cream to freeze evenly, we need to shake the bag. This movement is very important because it ensures that the ice cream mixture is constantly exposed to the cold temperature of the melted ice. If the mixture is still, the outer layer will freeze and the inner layer will remain liquid. By constantly stirring the mixture, we create a smoother texture and prevent ice crystals from forming, resulting in a creamier ice cream.
Why salt ice cream?
Ice cream salt is a large crystal salt. The difference between ice cream salt and table salt is the size of the crystals. Both can be used to make ice cream, but the larger crystal size will melt the ice more consistently so it is generally preferred.
How to Make Ice Cream in a Can
The same principle used to make ice cream in a bag can be applied to making ice cream in a can. You will need two cans, one large, and one small enough to fit inside the larger can and surrounded by ice. #10 works well for food storage cans, or coffee cans. Simply pour your ice cream liquid into the center can. Make sure it has a tight seal and won't leak. Surround the center can with your ice and salt. Place the lid on it and shake the can for 5 minutes, or swirl it back and forth until the ice cream is frozen.
other flavors
Yes! You can use any ice cream recipe and use the same method to freeze it. Some ice cream flavor recipes may require more prep work so keep in mind that many other flavors will take more than 5 minutes to make. Any ice cream base that needs to be heated or cooked in the oven should be cooled completely before freezing using the ice bag or rolling can method. You can easily create chocolate, strawberryor Mint Chocolate Chip.
Storage instructions
freeze Up to one week in bags. Remove it from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes so it's easier to scoop.
