Ice-cream maker

[Nikki]

Anyone know of a non-motorised ice-cream making machine? or is that too crazy?

[chadspad]

Cant u make it yourself somehow by just keep stirring it when the cream starts to freeze? Sure Ive seen that somewhere

[red]

Hugh F-W had one when he was doing his 'cook on the wild side' - looked like you packed ice around the outside and turned the handle yourself..... probably original Victorian or something

[ina]

Cant u make it yourself somehow by just keep stirring it when the cream starts to freeze? Sure Ive seen that somewhere

Put a fairly concentrated salt solution in the freezer for a few days. The stick your icecream mix in a pot into that solution (because of the salt it stays liquid), and then do the stirring. Works a treat, if you have enough room in the freezer for the solution!

[Nikki]

Red, yes good point, I imagine the Victorians had someting like that. Just wondered if the stirring was too prolonged to bother with.

Ina - only half understand what you're getting at, sorry. If it's a worthwhile exercise in making ice-cream, would you mind clarifying/elaborating?

[Wombat]

Hand powered icecream makers are available form the Amish supplier Lehmans' in the 'states but they are EXPENSIVE! There must be a way to bodge one up at home!

Nev

[Nikki]

I agree Nev!

Just need to see the things. It seems the main bit that would make things easier is creating a proper ladel/stirrer, so that the work of stirring isn't back breaking.

[ina]

Red, yes good point, I imagine the Victorians had someting like that. Just wondered if the stirring was too prolonged to bother with.

Ina - only half understand what you're getting at, sorry. If it's a worthwhile exercise in making ice-cream, would you mind clarifying/elaborating?

Oops, sorry - I'll try to explain:

Put as much salt into water as will dissolve. You'll probably need two or three litres of water - can't remember how much salt, a few pounds I'd think.

Freeze that solution for a few days. It should stay liquid if it is saturated.

Put this into a large bowl, and a smaller bowl with your icecream mix into this - like a waterbath, only cold instead of hot. Now stir and scrape the icecream mix off the sides of the bowl, where it will freeze nicely into the proper, creamy consistency.

The point of the salt water is that because it's liquid, it'll cool down the small bowl much more effectively than using ice cubes or suchlike. It only takes a few minutes to make something like half a litre of icecream.


Edited to add - of course you can use the salt water as often as you like. Stick it back into the freezer as soon as the icecream is made, and you'll always have it ready to go.

[Nikki]

Thank you Ina.

Wow! Only a few minutes??! That would definitely be worth trying. And about as simple as you can get.

Thanks for sharing.