Before I had kids, I actually spent quite a bit of time making my own foods. I had an appliance for everything and could make my own bread, smoothies, pizza dough, and more. Some foods were easier to make than others and often depended on the appliance I was using. I owned a very inexpensive ice cream maker that I brought into our marriage, but rarely used it because it was not the most convenient to use. I’d forget to freeze the bowl or and did not have room for it.
Now that we’re heading into the warmer months, our family will be eating a ton of ice cream, since it’s our favorite Summer treat. Between my son’s food allergies, and my commitment to eating natural foods free from dyes and chemicals, making our own ice cream at home just makes sense. The process is easier than you might expect and I value knowing exactly what our family is eating.
So how do you make your own ice cream at home?
1. Find or develop your own recipe. Ice cream is typically milk, cream, and sugar, so start from this point and incorporate your favorite flavors (try local, seasonal fruit).
2. Invest in a quality machine. This is important if you want the ease and convenience of making your own ice cream. I actually prefer a machine that does not require the bowl to be frozen ahead of time, as it allows for spontaneous homemade ice cream creations.
To show you how easy it is to make your own ice cream, I whipped up one batch each of gelato and sorbet using NewAir’s Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker. This machine is incredibly easy to use and does all of the churning and chilling for you.
NewAir is a company that manufactures home appliances including ice cream makers, which are available for purchase online. This machine is ready to use right from the box (no assembly required), however, I do recommend washing the parts before first using the machine. Be sure to use a soft sponge and avoid metal in the bowl as the inside can be easily scratched.
The built-in compressor means you don’t have to freeze the bowl, another time-saver in the process of homemade ice cream. And with the built-in timer and automatic shut-off, you won’t have to wonder when your ice cream is ready. Simply put your ingredients inside the bowl and the machine will begin churning and then freezing your ice cream.
The machine comes with a book containing easy recipes to get you started, however, I decided to be a bit adventurous and created a Strawberries and Cream Gelato and a Cutie (Tangerine) Sorbet. Take a peek at the final creations:
Both of these frozen desserts were easily made in NewAir’s Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker. The finished product was on the softer side, just the way I like ice cream. Once frozen overnight, it had more of the consistency you’d see from store-bought varieties.
After enjoying both the gelato and the sorbet, it is highly unlikely that we’ll buy store bought varieties. I love the freedom to mix flavors and value the fact that I know exactly what is going into our ice cream. Additionally, in the long run, we’ll save money. Natural varieties of ice cream are expensive and can easily be $4-6 per pint. Homemade ice cream is actually quite inexpensive once you have the machine.
For more information about NewAir’s Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, just visit their website.
No compensation was received for this post. A product sample was provided which facilitated the writing of this post.
Images: Rockin’ Mama unless otherwise noted.
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Thanks for the post. Ice cream is my favorite food and I’ve always wanted to get an ice cream maker. This machine looks great, but it also looks huge for my tiny kitchen.