Homemade ice cream tips

THERE is a certain satisfaction in making foods at home, especially items like ketchup or chocolate which seemingly must be bought at the shops. Ice cream is one of those items.

Ice cream was obviously invented for the sole purpose of making us happy and no variety achieves the goal better than the homemade stuff. Sure it’s a little disconcerting to see first-hand all the gloopy, fatty components of our favourite summertime vice but the results always taste so natural. And if nothing else, DIY ice creaming costs less and allows you to explore all the theoretical flavour combinations the commercial tubs wouldn’t dare.  

Ice cream-making machines have gotten a lot more affordable in recent years and do a pretty good job of whipping up a custardy freeze. But you don’t need a special machine for making your own ice cream. Other practical methods may require little more than a saucepan, spoon or a plastic bag.

Plastic bag ice cream usually calls for a bag within a bag approach, whereby the creamy mixture is shaken up inside a larger container of salty ice. The technique is likely to rend a kind of “semifreddo” or half-frozen dessert. Saucepan ice cream is a straightforward process of simmering the milk, egg yolks, sugar and whatever flavourings you’re using until you get the right thickness.

The concoctions are hard to get wrong but you won’t get that ice cream smoothness unless it’s properly churned. This is the hard part and the reason electric ice cream makers have so thoroughly replaced the old hand cranks. You can use an electric egg beater or improvise another method of churning the basic mix – just make sure you use some kind of powered whipper to get an even consistency.

We’re including our favourite homemade mango ice cream recipe at the bottom of this article to give you an idea of the basic ratios and techniques. But as you experiment with your own variations, you may find a lot of things can go wrong on the road to perfect ice cream, even following such a simple process. With that in mind, we’ve decided to list a few tips to help you avoid the common pitfalls. If you would like to contribute a few tips of your own, please feel free to post a message below.

• After you’ve added the egg yolks and sugar to the saucepan, be sure not to let the mixture boil as it will curdle
  
• Before churning, do whatever you can to make the mixture as cold as possible
  
• If you’re adding in chunks of chocolate, biscuits or other goodies, be sure to keep them small and pre-frozen. Fruit chunks should be as ripe as possible. Add after churning
  
• Using powdered cocoa will help you control the water content in your mixture
  
• Pre-chill the churning container
  
• If you’re using alcohol in the recipe, be careful not to use too much as it will interfere with the freezing process
  
• Be sure to keep the ice cream tightly sealed in the freezer so maintain the correct hardness and prevent other foods from contaminating the taste
  
• If your recipe calls for raw eggs, try to eat the whole batch within a week
  
• Don’t overfill your ice cream maker – three-quarters full is generally considered a good threshold
  
• Many experienced ice cream-makers suggest favouring cream over milk when you’re balancing your base mixture
  
• Consider using maple syrup or honey as a sweetener instead of straight sugar
  
• Flour and gelatine may help to achieve a silkier and creamier consistency
  
• Try to use shallow, flat containers for churning and storage
  
• Don’t expect it to be like ice cream from the shop – try to embrace the rustic imperfections and lack of chemical texture stabilisers.
  

Homemade mango ice cream

• 250ml milk
  
• 250ml thickened cream
  
• 4 egg yolks
  
• 110g caster sugar
  
• 300g fresh or frozen mango flesh, pureed

Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and simmer over a low heat. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light and creamy. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the sugar-yolk mixture and combine well. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Continue this over a low heat until a batter-like thickness is achieved that coats the spoon.

Cool the mixture before adding mango puree and implement your preferred churning technique. An ice cream maker will do this most efficiently and is usually best for getting consistent results.