White Mountain Freezer

[raprap]

I am so excited I can barely contain myself. I went to a flea market Saturday morning looking for a waffle iron, Clear Vue eyeglass frames, Parker 51 fountain pens, or a White Mountain Ice Cream Freezer. Waffle Irons were prohibitively expensive, the cheapest one I saw they wanted 160 bucks and it wasn’t even a heart shaped (that one was $250). The only fountain pens I saw were Schaeffers, Esterbrooks, and Parkettes (a Japanese copy of a 51), and no eyeglass frames—but just as I was making a final pass before leaving there was a 6 quart white mountain. I checked and it was all there except for the plate on the bucket-in real good shape even though it was about 50 years old (seldom used). The tag said $35 and I offered $30. I could barely contain myself when they said ‘yours’.

It was a bit of a challenge strapping the freezer on the back of my bike—but I managed, and when I got home I went online to find a favorite recipe—Irish Coffee Ice Cream---Eggs, whipping cream, sugar, freeze dried coffee, and bourbon—makes me appreciate the Irish even though I’m Welsh.

Rap

[Betsey]

Congrats on a great find!

Old White Mountains can bring a pretty penny. And there is nothing like homemade ice cream! We have 1 hand crank and 3 electric freezers that we use a lot. We use the handcrank at gatherings and get-togethers. The electrics are for when we need "extra" ice cream or when I need to make it and there's no one around to crank.

We took my great grandfather's 8 gallon hand crank to Minden to make ice cream for the masses. Here are a couple of pics from the ice cream social:




There are so many good recipes for ice cream. You are sure to have many years of good ice cream and good times!

Betsey

[raprap]

Last fall, at the Rarden Whitetail Festival (an experience in it's own right) there was a ice cream vender who froze his own concoction in a 40 quart white mountain freezer turned by a one and a half horsepower john deere hit and miss engine. It was lite vanilla, but good nevertheless and the pop chuga chuga chuga pop chuga chuga of the old hit and miss engine provided a danceable tattoo to eat your ice cream to.

I watched you make ice cream in Minden. That was a BIG machine to hand crank.

Rap

[Classic Finn]

Wow nice topic..

Betsey since Ive never seen it done.. well except in a big ice cream plant that we visited..

How does this take place? is it possible for us here at home to make it?

What do I need to do so?

Interesting..

Classic Finn

[Betsey]

I just searched in Google and I came up with this...Betsey can you tell us how you do it the ol fashion way?

http://www.brm-icecream.com/hand.htm

Im just not familiar as what a person actually does..or how its done..

Heikki,

The machines in the website you posted are handcranks.

They also have electric ones. http://www.brm-icecream.com/electric.htm They have a motor and you just plug it into an outlet. The motor does all the work.

Ice cream freezers have 5 basic parts: the bucket, the hand crank or electric motor attachment, the canister, the canister lid and a dasher or paddle (fits inside the canister and continuously mixes the ice cream mixture so it freezes uniformly).

The ice cream itself is made using a recipe. There are lots of different recipes - some cooked (more like custard - containing eggs), some don't need cooking (no eggs), some use lots of heavy (whipping) cream, some have use more milk, some use more 1/2 and 1/2 (light cream), some use sweetened condensed milk. The more/heavier the cream, the thicker the ice cream. Using more milk will make more of an "ice milk" type of ice cream (less creamy).

Then there are the flavors. Depending on what type of ice cream you want to make - chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, peach, chocolate mint, cookies and cream, coffee, etc - will somewhat determine the types and amounts of ingredients.

Here is the"standard" recipe I use for vanilla for large groups. It is uncooked (has no eggs). This recipe makes 4 quarts but you can adjust it for larger ice cream canisters

2 Cups whole milk
1 3/4 Cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 Cups Half and Half (light cream)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
4 Cups whipping cream (not whipped cream)

Mix all of this together and pour into the canister.
Put the dasher, with long end sticking up, in the canister. Be sure that the bottom of the dasher fits into indentation (dent) at bottom of ice cream canister.
Put on the canister lid.
Put filled canister in bucket, centering it on the small dent or bump (depends on what your ice cream bucket has).
Layer about 3 inches of ice cubes and then about 1/2 cup salt (rock salt is best) in the space between the canister and the bucket. Repeat layers up to the top of the canister lid.
Attach hand crank or electric motor. Make sure ice does not jam up under the crank or motor.
Begin cranking (or plug in motor). Crank (motor) should turn/run smoothly. As the ice melts, add more layers of ice and salt.
It should take about 30 minutes with either type of machine before the ice cream is done. If using a hand crank, it will become increasingly harder to turn the crank until it is nearly impossible to do it, even with one person cranking and one or two people holding the bucket. With an electric motor, the motor will stop the dasher from turning (you will be able to hear it).
If you are not going to eat it right away, remove the crank/motor, the lid and dasher. Replace the lid, plug the hole in the lid with a cork and cover the canister with more ice. This is called "ripening" and it will allow the flavor to be richer.

This all sounds so much more difficult and involved than it really is.

We have also made ice cream without an ice cream freezer - using ziploc bags or coffee cans.

Hope this helps.

Betsey

[TLC]

I've had Betsey's ice cream at 3 different gatherings and it's always very good. At Minden I ate it by the bucket full.
Tom

[raprap]

Electric machines take all the fun out of making ice cream--hand cranked is always better--the anticipation adds to the flavor.

Many of our outdoor high adventure (backpacking, ice and rock climbing, cycling) stores sell a device called an icecream ball. It's a ball with two hemispheres that contain blue ice (that stuff you freeze at home and put in cooler instead of water ice). You put the prepared ingrediants in the hollow ball and toss it around for about five minuted, crack it open and you have dessert. Makes about a pint (~500 ml) of ice cream.

Rap

[Betsey]

At Minden I ate it by the bucket full.

And here's the proof!



Betsey

[Classic Finn]

Since the Electrical System is different there in the States than ours..
I think that Hand Crank one would be very nice..

Is White Mountain one of the most popular or well known manufacturers?

Ok its worked by "Bread Power" but still it seems more of the Old Time Ways..

Are there many suppliers of them hand cranked ones?

Besides what the gentleman rap mentioned or you Betsey?

Is Rock Salt somthing that is mandatory or can other salt be used?

I think it would be neat to do some of that here.. Especially with the teardrop beside us.. Wouldnt draw attention now would it?

Classic Finn

[Betsey]

I watched you make ice cream in Minden. That was a BIG machine to hand crank.

Did you get a chance to take a turn at the crank?

My great grandfather had two of these machines. He owned a German bakery and store in Boston at the turn of the century. They made ice cream daily. I am sure there were lots of willing hands to help. I wish I had some pictures of it in action at his store.

Betsey

[Classic Finn]

At Minden I ate it by the bucket full.

And here's the proof!



Betsey

Betsey your Ice Cream is all calorie free is it not?

Classic Finn

[raprap]

The rock salt is not for the ice cream, its for the cooling. The salt is mixed with the ice on the outside of the cannister containing the ice cream mixture. The salt lowers the melting point of the cooling ice to below 0 degrees C (32 degrees F in 'Merica). Consequently, the rock salt is usually the cheapest salt available, which is good 'cause you use a lot of it.

Betsy--no I didn't churn--you had those young boys to do that work, and when I noticed what you were doing it was already gitting a little thick from the expressions on the faces of the young turks. Ate some though--I ain't proud.

Rap

[raprap]

There are many brands of ice cream freezers--White Mountain, though is at the top of the pack. Newer ones are only 4 and 6 quart, the old 20 quart is no longer available from White Mountain/Rival, but they're still good. An old one though is a real jewel.

The outlet store is http://www.whitemountain-outlet.com/ a little costy--but worth it

Country Freezer http://www.country-freezer.com/icecream2.htm also makes good ice cream churns, including 20 quart ones--but they're costly--the website does include the tattoo of a hit and miss engine.

Rap

[Classic Finn]

The rock salt is not for the ice cream, its for the cooling. The salt is mixed with the ice on the outside of the cannister containing the ice cream mixture. The salt lowers the melting point of the cooling ice to below 0 degrees C (32 degrees F in 'Merica). Consequently, the rock salt is usually the cheapest salt available, which is good 'cause you use a lot of it.

Betsy--no I didn't churn--you had those young boys to do that work, and when I noticed what you were doing it was already gitting a little thick from the expressions on the faces of the young turks. Ate some though--I ain't proud.

Rap

Rap is White Mountain the most common company for these Hand Crank Ice Cream Makers? I thought I saw someplace there is one also that is made by the Amish?

I see White Mountain only delivers within the USA and Canada.. Maybe its due to the weight of them?

Classic Finn

Ok I unsderstand the salt portion of it now..

[Classic Finn]

There are many brands of ice cream freezers--White Mountain, though is at the top of the pack. Newer ones are only 4 and 6 quart, the old 20 quart is no longer available from White Mountain/Rival, but they're still good. An old one though is a real jewel.

The outlet store is http://www.whitemountain-outlet.com/ a little costy--but worth it

Country Freezer http://www.country-freezer.com/icecream2.htm also makes good ice cream churns, including 20 quart ones--but they're costly--the website does include the tattoo of a hit and miss engine.

Rap

So thats basically all I would need to order then if using the Hand Crank System?

Gee the neighbor kids would be having fun if we made some here... at home.

Classic Finn