Since 1926, the Agricultural Review has been a free newspaper published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. For many years, The Tar Heel Kitchen was a featured column written by the department’s marketing home economist.
These recipes tended to be seasonal with just a handful of ingredients. We thought these recipes needed to be shared in a new format. The Tar Heel Kitchen post unearths a few of these timeless recipes each month. This week we are revisiting the August 1992 issue and a few timeless recipes for homemade ice cream
June is Dairy Month in North Carolina. We thought a good way to celebrate would be with a big bowl of homemade ice cream.
“When I was in high school, just about every Sunday evening after church during the hot summer months we would make homemade ice cream,” said Barbara “Babs” Wilkinson, former NCDA&CS home economist. “We had a hand-cranked churn and would take turns cranking it.”
While you might go the easy route and choose an electric ice cream maker, these tips from Babs could make your ice cream even more delicious:
- If your ice cream is not freezing to your satisfaction, try mixing the ingredients the evening before and placing in the refrigerator so the base chills properly. You might also check the ratio of salt to ice. Generally you use one part salt to eight parts ice. Check the directions on the bag for specific directions.
- To make ice cream harder, let it sit longer in the maker before serving or pack it in an airtight container and place it in the freezer. Remember that ice cream hardened in a home freezer tends to get icy.
- If you are planning to have a fruity ice cream, try adding sugar to your cut-up fruit and let the mixture sit for several hours. The sugar lowers the fruit’s freezing point and prevents it from becoming too icy when added to the ice cream. The sugar also extracts the fruit’s natural juices and helps flavor the ice cream during the freezing process.
- Alcohol depresses the freezing point of ice cream. It will also take longer to freeze and the finished ice cream will be softer than other ice cream.
- The faster the mix freezes, the smaller the ice crystals, and the smoother and creamier the ice cream will taste.
Ice Cream Custard
- 6 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 eggs, well-beaten
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients except vanilla. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture coats a metal spoon. Cool slightly, stir in vanilla. Chill several hours or overnight. Pour custard into freezer can of ice cream maker. Process according to manufacturer’s directions. Scoop ice cream into plastic container with tight-fitting lid. Ripen several hours or overnight in freezer.
Variation: To make chocolate ice cream, combine 4 to 5 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa with sugar; mix well before stirring in milk. Proceed as directed above.
Banana Split Ice Cream
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 6 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 bananas, chopped
- 10-ounce jar of maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
Beat eggs with electric mixer at medium speed until frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick. Add milk and salt; mix well. Pour egg mixture into a large saucepan and place over low heat; cook, stirring constantly until thoroughly heated. Combine egg mixture, sweetened condensed milk, half-and-half and vanilla; stir well. Add bananas and cherries. Process according to manufacturer’s directions.
Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 cups milk
Saute chopped pecans in butter, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until toasted. Set aside to cool. Combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour mixture in freezer can. Freeze about 10 minutes or until ice cream is thick. Remove dasher; add pecans to mixture. Return dasher; freeze until firm according to manufacturer’s instructions. Let ripen at least 1 hour.