Help: Making ice cream with milk?

[chocojun]

Is it possible just to use milk when making ice cream? I remember when I was a kid in home-ec my teacher had us put milk, vanilla, and sugar in a bag within a bag of rock salt and ice and it made ice cream. Does my memory serve me correct?

 

[bethzaring]

Yes it is possible, I do it all the time. And it is a very rich tasting product, not like store bought ice milk. The trick I use was at first a mistake, gone good. I make a custard type ice cream, and when that custard is cut with milk and vanilla just before adding all to the canister, use about 1/2 the amount of milk called for. In other words, the ration of custard to milk is skewed, heavier on the custard.

 

[Yakuta]

Yes icecream can be made as you indicated with milk, vanilla and sugar but the texture is not going to be very creamy.

A lot depends on the end product you want to get out. If you like rich and creamy icecream you will not get that using your technique. If on the other hand you don't mind a lighter icecream you can use your technique.

The richness is normally added by the fat content in the milk and hence the use of cream. The higher the fat content the richer the end result and viceversa.

I would suggest the following. If you only have milk on hand, cook it down to half it's original quantity, add sugar and vanilla and chill that and then use that as your base to make icecream without any cream.

Another way is to make a custard base with milk and eggs. So scald the milk (approx a 1/4 gallon) with vanilla first. In a bowl add 4 egg yolks and beat them with sugar. Temper the eggs by first adding a little milk and constantly beating them. Then pour the remaining milk and allow this mixture to chill as well and use that as your icecream base.

 

[Andy M.]

Not to be picky, but you should call it ice milk.

 

[BrianMorin]

Yes it is possible, I do it all the time. And it is a very rich tasting product, not like store bought ice milk. The trick I use was at first a mistake, gone good. I make a custard type ice cream, and when that custard is cut with milk and vanilla just before adding all to the canister, use about 1/2 the amount of milk called for. In other words, the ration of custard to milk is skewed, heavier on the custard.

Beth;

Is what Yakuta said, about what you ment?

 

[bethzaring]

Brian, I am not sure I can follow Yakutas' entire post.

The rich tasting ice milk that I make, which tastes like a rich french vanilla ice cream, is to use the custard method. I can not find my recipe at the moment, but you use eggs, sugar and milk and cook it. Then chill this custard mixture, I chill overnight. The next step is to add the vanilla and cream, except I use milk in place of the cream. Say the recipe says to add 5 cups of cream, I add 2 1/2 milk.

I follow the recipe that came with my electric ice cream maker. I use the recipe to make 6 quarts of ice cream, but my maker is only a four quart. So the custard is for a 6 quart maker, when you do the last step before freezing, there is only a small space to add the final fluid, milk in my case. I use a higher ratio of custard to milk/cream than the recipe calls for. I also add some peppermint oil and chocolate chips. It is a very decadant ice milk.

 

[BrianMorin]

Brian, I am not sure I can follow Yakutas' entire post.

The rich tasting ice milk that I make, which tastes like a rich french vanilla ice cream, is to use the custard method. I can not find my recipe at the moment, but you use eggs, sugar and milk and cook it. Then chill this custard mixture, I chill overnight. The next step is to add the vanilla and cream, except I use milk in place of the cream. Say the recipe says to add 5 cups of cream, I add 2 1/2 milk.

I follow the recipe that came with my electric ice cream maker. I use the recipe to make 6 quarts of ice cream, but my maker is only a four quart. So the custard is for a 6 quart maker, when you do the last step before freezing, there is only a small space to add the final fluid, milk in my case. I use a higher ratio of custard to milk/cream than the recipe calls for. I also add some peppermint oil and chocolate chips. It is a very decadant ice milk.

This is good information. So it seems that eggs can do what the cream does, you just have to make sure you make your custard without lumps! Right?