Is it July 19 already? Wow, that means National Ice Cream Month is tw0-thirds over already. We hope everyone has had a chance to celebrate appropriately, which hopefully include a drippy ice cream cone. Speaking of drippy ice cream cone’s, the entry the other day from Tamara had a lot of people drooling over the beautiful photo she chose as the subject of her entry. We should also mention that we forgot to post the last part (and the most delicious part!) of her entry, which included her mouth-watering description of the drippy cone. Check out Tamara’s full entry here.
Today’s entry, however, comes from Mary B. of St. Marys, PA. In it, Mary recalls an early childhood ice cream memory involving some of the best ice cream you’ll ever taste — homemade ice cream.
My parent’s house had a great back porch! It was always the site of the ice cream creation. Anyone who was lucky enough to be at our house on those summer evenings was always welcome to join in the work and the subsequent rewards. We used my grandfather’s one quart machine and a great deal of preparation and ceremony went into assembling the necessary ingredients, making the custard, combining just the right amount of salt and ice in the bucket, and turning the crank. We weren’t very adventurous, as vanilla was the only flavor we ever made, but to me and those who shared the final product it was pure gold!
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If you’ve got a technical question about the ice cream making process or some other inquiry about the nuances of America’s favorite treat, chances are Ernie has the answer. He might not be able to answer all questions, but he’ll try his best and some may be featured on the Ice Cream Journal.
Brings back memories. My grandparent’s back porch was the scene of many ice cream socials that included homemade ice cream.
A nice bowl of ice cream would sound great right about now!
I remember those days w/the crank ice cream maker. We would add strawberries when they in. We added peaches when they were in. It made good eating. It just seemed like it took forever for the ice cream to ge hard enough toe eat. I also enjoyed licking the paddles. Kids don’t get tat much any more these days. We used to make ice cream out of snow and that was good. Now days people are afraid to eat snow ice cream.
I remember making homemade ice cream as a kid in Minnesota. We all had to take a turn at cranking the ice cream bucket handle. The best part was being the one who got to “lick” the beater.
I know about the \hard work\ of cranking the White Mountain freezer. There were a few inventive guys around that attempted to make the work easier. Like jacking up the one rear wheel of a car and somehow attaching the crank to it and use automative power instead of the muscular kind. As I recall, it worked!
I love your ice cream!
I am sure for Mary B homemade ice cream was like being in heaven. This was before great companies like Turkey Hill who can come close to duplicating homemade ice cream. Even growing up with Turkey Hill ice cream there are fond memories.
I have always wanted to try to make my own ice cream but I have never had the patience to actually try it. When I get an ice cream craving or start to think about it, I need it right then and there! If I had to wait for the mixing and then for the mixture to freeze I would go crazy. I am always the one who fills up on the cookie dough or brownie batter before actually baking it. I did learn something when researching recipes for home made ice cream though… Ice cream can be made in 2 basic styles. A custard/french style and a Philadelphia/New York/American style. The Philadelphia style ice cream contains no egg yolks and does not require cooking which is really convenient. It is composed almost entirely of cream ans sugar, so it is very rich tasting, and requires few ingredients.
However, if you like smoother, creamier ice creams, than custard style with egg yolks are the way to go. Egg yolks are natural emulsifiers, so the ice cream is really creamy and smooth.
Thanks for the memories Mary B. There’s nothing like being with family and making ice cream. MMMMMMM good stuff.
My parents made ice cream a couple times that way. It was a lot of work!
We never made our own ice cream, but I do remember summer evenings and a drive to our favorite Andersons for “soft” ice cream or custard as it was known. It was something special in those days, though the flavors were limited to chocolate, vanilla, and one other flavor of the week, perhaps strawberry, if I recall.
What a treat, and thanks for the memories.
I also remember those old fashioned icecream making cranking days years ago at our house. We made mostly vanilla and then liked to add fresh peaches on top which was great. Oh memories of home. Then the automatic inventors came about and we also tryed those ways. I as a Mom now am not that creative with making homemade icecream I love turkey hill and try to get it on sale. I am very creative though when it comes to make your own sundaes.
As a child, my parents did buy a hand crank for ice cream and vanilla was the only flavor we ever made either. Personally, I prefer buying ice cream. It was hard work turning that crank and you didn’t get much ice cream for your trouble!
I remember those days
It seems like a lot of work to make your own ice cream. I’m glad we can just go to the store and buy Turkey Hill. The biggest problem with that is deciding what flavors to buy!!
In my home ice cream month is all 12 months !Always something to celebrate !
The ice cream crank job was a must in our house when I was a kid, along with making home made root beer, then we had root beerfloats. Have to admit, root beer was made one day, the ice cream the next day. This was about a once a month deal. Oh for the good old days.
Used to make ice cream when I was a kid too – thanks for the memories!!
We sometimes get homemade ice cream at Howell Living History Farm. It is a fun place!
Great memories Mary! I bet that ice cream was delicious!
This is a hard one for me. Today is the anniversary of our daughter’s passing and she just sent us a note from heaven. I never made ice cream until my daughter got the recipe from school. What we made was what we call spoon ice cream. I got the heavy cream and chocolate bits and away she went. It was mixed and whipped up to a rich dark chocolate flavor then frozen. It was the best chocolate we ever have eaten (sorry Ernie with all the chocolate bits even TH does not have that much chocolate). Now where the the name “spoon ice cream” come in? At the bottom of the tub we made it in was the spoon our daughter used.
PS Thanks for the message from heaven.
We were always happy making homemade ice cream. It was good, but I am VERY thankful for Turkey Hill ice cream.
Thanks for the memories. We had an ice cream maker just like the one in the picture and it was used quite often! There was nothing like it! It was fun to help turn the handle, but as it got harder Dad had to do it because it was so hard to turn! Good days – good times!
I have never been fortunate enough to taste homemade ice cream. Although I am grateful that I can buy my favorite brand of Turkey Hill Ice Cream any day of the week. Mary, sounds like you had great fun making and eating the ice cream.
A fun memory and a great way to keep the kids busy at the same time!
My mother used to make some type of ice cream using an ice cube tray (the older metal ones where the cube sectioner comes out leaving a long narrow tray. I don’t know what she put in (other than milk) but I do remember her taking it out after it had set a certain amount and remixing it and then returning it to the freezer. It made a tasty dessert on a hot summer evening.
To Norma who mentioned Anderson’s, if that was in the Western New York area I have had their frozen custard and enjoyed it. They also make a tasty lemon ice as well.
I remember fondly the vanilla ice cream my grandfather made for Christmas. The one regret though was that I never got to lick the dasher. That treat was always reserved for the male grandkids. Sexism ruled in those days!
wow what a ice cream maker my aunt and uncle had one on there farm with i had one now
There’s always something special about making something delicious together, but my favorite part has always been what comes after: the eating.
Ahh, the ice cream maker, the most glorious invention known to man! What would we do without it? Nothing beats homemade ice cream, except of course Turkey Hill Ice Cream!
We never had home made ice cream, do know its alot of work. But they say “its worth it”. One of these days we’ll get some.
I don’t think the “old fashion way” goes out of style, as their are traditionalists who still enjoy doing this ..even though Turkey Hill icecream is hard to beat and never goes out of style. As long as there are “IceCream Lovers”to enjoy it!
Great childhood memory! My childhood memory of ice cream was when the Good Ole Ice Cream Truck would come snailing up the street with some version of “Turky in the Straw” and we would all scream up to the second floor for my mom to throw us coins if she had them:)
Hi Turkey Hill Fans, I used to make ice cream that way for many years, Now that I see everyone is doing it. I would make the best ice cream that way. I would let it set to ripe in the freeze. sometime over night. I like making ice cream the old fashion way. Now that I said that I will start looking for a ice cream maker on sale now, but Turkey hill, I will still buy your ice cream.
Loved eating homemade Ice cream when I was a child
Oh yeah – the crank ice-cream maker…we always made peach ice cream with peaches yanked off the backyard tree. My brothers and I each had to crank for it seemed like a half-hour each, and it seemed like it made enough for about a half a dish each. But my Mom loved it, so it was a labor of love for her.
I remember cranking the old ice cream maker for Yummy ice cream. I have not continued the tradition since I do not have an ice cream maker. I just buy my ice cream at the grocery store.
we never made ice cream as kids and I only tried it once as an adult, but why make something when you can buy turkey hill.
Ummmmmmmm homemade ice cream. Great memories.
Those were the days…..homemade ice cream! yummy!
Making your own ice cream is always a treat.
Oh yes, the good old days when each of us girls got a chance to turn the crank…and the wonderful flavor of homemade ice cream after all that work….it was a fun time for all of us. Thank you Mary for your wonderful entry. As I smile and have a bowl of Tin Roof Sundae.
We would make ice cream at summer camp. It was always one of the big highlights! Every cabin group got their chance to make ice cream for each other throughout the week. It was tiring as a kid to turn that crank, but it was oh-so-rewarding!