Here is a fun idea to do with your children, ages 2-102. Though I assume none of you probably have children that are 102 years old. First, it is a project that all of them will do happily. Second, it will keep every last one of them busy for a good while. Third, it is a snack. What’s not to love about it?
Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rock salt
1 pint-size ziploc bag
1 gallon-size ziploc bag
Ice cubes
Step One: Put the first three ingredients into the pint sized ziploc bag. Seal well. Check and make sure that is is sealed well. Check again.
Step Two: Put the pint sized ziploc bag inside of the gallon sized ziploc bag.
Step Three: Fill the gallon sized ziploc bag with ice and rock salt. (This is why you really want to make sure the smaller ziploc bag is completely sealed. Salt leaking into your ice cream…ewwwwww.)
Step Four: Shake your bags.
After about 5-10 minutes the half & half will thicken and you will have ice cream!
Take the small bag of ice cream out of the larger bag — you may want to wipe the bag off to get rid of the salt residue, especially for younger children who are not as neat. Then, grab a spoon and eat it right out of the bag.
Enjoy!
You can also add other ingredients to your bag such as chocolate syrup, sprinkles, mini-chocolate chips, crushed oreos… well, you get the idea.
This sounds fun and delicious! One question…can I buy rock salt in the grocery store?
Comment by Mary Beth — July 19, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
You can get rock salt or kosher salt at the grocers usually on the bottom shelf. Both work well, though kosher at times can seep through the sealed pint bag and make the ice cream salty. One other tip – have the kids wear gloves (garden gloves is fine) The ice gets COLD!
Comment by Claire — July 19, 2009 @ 5:40 pm
Hah! I was just telling my sister about this yesterday, and saying I’d have to Google it for her. But instead, it came to ME! Thanks, Chris.
Comment by Brigitte — July 20, 2009 @ 6:30 am
I do this with my kids but a different version (ingredients already on hand-I don’t know about you but I don’t keep rock salt or half and half on hand). My recipe is: 1/2 cup milk, 1 tbsp. sugar, 3/4 tbsp. vanilla. 6 tbsp. salt, small freezer bag and large freezer bag. The steps are the same. Just make sure to add alot of ice (enough so its almost full but you can still shake it) in the big bag. Have fun!!
Comment by Bev — July 20, 2009 @ 9:02 pm