Student’s Corner

As we head into the sizzling month of July, there’s only 1 delectable treat on everyone’s mind and that’s a cone or bowl of ice cream! Having recently traveled to Washington DC for the July 4^th weekend, I took my girlfriend for ice cream one night to a little shop called Larry’s Homemade Cupcakes and Ice Cream. The Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Dough was so satisfying for my ice cream craving and I began to think of the whole “homemade ice cream” concept as I drove back to Rochester. Unfortunately, I don’t have an ice cream maker, but upon further research it seems that you can make ice cream with access to a few standard kitchen tools/appliances.

These include: Large mixing bowl, Small bowl (around 1 quart), Chopped Ice (about 72 ice cubes), Freezer access, Kosher or Rock Salt (3/4 cup), Whisk/Electric mixer, and Plastic wrap

Making a Savory, Creamy Frozen Dessert 

    There are several methods for making ice cream without a machine, however I’ve chosen to focus on the mixing/freezer approach. There are also multiple ice cream mixes you can make, such as eggless or with sweetened condensed milk, but I’m choosing to focus on the mixture that uses cream and eggs. This will create basic vanilla ice cream, however I’ll get into how you can be a bit more creative later.

Ingredients you’ll need include:

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract – I recommend making your own! You’ll save yourself from running out as often, it may end up saving you some money, and all you need is vanilla beans, vodka, and a jar! Click here for more info on how to make your own.
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions on how to heat and combine your ice cream mixture are included here

Instructions on how to actually freeze your ice cream are included here

Cream of the Crop – Picking your Own Berries

Now let’s be honest, plain vanilla ice cream can be a bit boring. Well it is summer, so when better to pick yourself some toppings to put on your homemade ice cream! One of my favorite places to go for ice cream growing up in Victor, NY has always been Chase Farms. Their ice cream is so delicious, you can feed the goats corn husks, and they provide opportunities to pick your own strawberries and raspberries (dependent on growing season of course). They also sell produce that they grow and I absolutely love giving a local farm my business. Other places to pick berries in Monroe County include places like Burch Farms and Green Acre Farms. A whole list of places to pick berries in our region can be found here.

A Unique Twist – Watermelon and Herbs

Now if you want to spice up your desert without melting your ice cream, you should definitely try growing some of your own herbs. Not only do you give yourself a green thumb and give yourself garnishing for numerous dishes, but you’ll be able to grow herbs like mint or basil that can easily be incorporated as garnish or ingredients to your ice cream. Most greenhouses will have herbs for sale, such as Lucas Greenhouses in Fairport, and you can also pick up other plant options to create your very own vegetable or flower garden.

Although ice cream is commonly thought about in the summer, watermelon is an equally iconic summer treat! I’ve always found that the juice from watermelon goes great with ice cream, but my challenge to you is to grow your own watermelon (this may have to be a next summer project). Normal watermelon would be boring however, so you should grow square or heart shaped watermelon! Using the instructions found here, you can shape your watermelon to whatever container you can find for only about $8. It’s a great experiment and a fun summer activity.

Have you made homemade ice cream before and have some tips to share? Have a favorite place to pick berries this summer? Let me know in the comment section below!

Written by Jacob Post, Class of 2017