How to Make Vanilla Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker

Step 1

1

Use this recipe to have fun making simple ice cream. Ice cream made this way doesn’t contain egg yolk, which makes it less rich and creamy than ice cream you may be used to. However, it is quick and easy to make, especially if you have a friend or two to help out. Kids often enjoy making this ice cream, since most of the process involves tossing it back and forth or shaking it.

Step 2

2

Crush ice. You can purchase pre-crushed ice, or make your own from ice cubes or blocks of ice. Place the ice in a plastic bag and gently, slowly bash the bag with a wooden mallet to break up the ice. Alternatively, use a heavy-duty food processor to break up the ice with brief pulses.

Step 3

3

Fill a large container halfway full of crushed ice. Use a large container that can be tightly closed, and that won’t easily break when shaken around. You can buy an “ice cream ball” for this purpose, which is sturdy and fun to throw around, but you can easily use a gallon-sized zip lock bag or a large plastic jar instead.

The container must be large enough to contain the ice cream mixture as well as the ice. Use an even larger container if you are doubling the recipe.

Step 4

4

Shake rock salt into the ice. Add 6 tablespoons (90 mL) rock salt directly onto the ice, seal the container, and shake until the salt and ice are mixed. It may seem strange, but the rock salt actually cools the ice down!

Ice cream will not freeze in a container of regular ice, but salt provides the colder temperature it needs.

Rock salt is sometimes sold as “ice cream salt.”

Ordinary table salt can also be used, but the smaller grains may cool the mixture too rapidly, making your ice cream freeze unevenly.

Step 5

5

Pour milk, sugar, and vanilla extract into a new zip lock bag. Measure out 1 cup (240 mL) milk, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) vanilla extract. Pour all of these ingredients into a quart- or liter-sized zip lock bag.

For a richer ice cream, use half-and-half or heavy cream instead of milk.

If using an ice cream ball, pour this mixture into the compartment of the ball without ice instead. Skip straight to the “shake” step.

Step 6

6

Seal the bag after squeezing out the air. Hold the bag upright or have an assistant hold it for you. Press as much air as you can out of the bag, starting just above the level of the ingredients and moving up to the opening. Use the zip lock to seal the bag tightly.

The more air there is in the bag, the more likely the bag will be to burst open while you make the ice cream.

Step 7

7

Seal a second zip lock bag around the ice cream mixture. Open another bag of the same size or larger. Place the bag containing the ice cream mixture inside this additional bag, then seal the same way you did the first. Ice cream needs to be shaken during freezing, and using two bags will prevent it from spilling if one of the bags is broken during the shaking.

Step 8

8

Put the bag with the ice cream mixture inside the container of ice. Seal the largest container tightly. It should now contain the double-bagged ice cream mixture as well as the loose ice and rock salt slush.