This 4-ingredient mason jar ice cream is the best summer gift

Summer is here and it’s too hot to turn on the oven for further quarantine. Let’s face it, you’re probably fed up with banana bread anyway. Homemade frozen desserts are in order, and I’m here to tell you that you don’t need an ice cream machine to make your dreams come true.

It is possible to make ice cream at home with ingredients that you already have in your pantry, and without special devices. I did the plastic bag trick (it’s messy and your hands freeze) and tried the food processor method: the next step was to try an internet recipe that promised to make ice cream with just a mason jar (and strong forearms) .

Mason jar ice cream tips and tricks

To be honest, he took a few tests to get the correct end result. This is where your arms come in. Since you’re the one stirring the mix and you’re not a machine, finding the right strength, speed, and duration requires testing and checking. I did a web search, read and observed how others had done it, and soon discovered that the instructions for stirring the cream mixture were vague at best. In the videos, I saw people shaking the mixture in different ways and citing different lengths for the shaking (10 minutes to 1 minute). This reinforced the idea that this has more to do with who is making the ice cream than with any formula.

After a couple of tests, I found out what happens when you put too much force and spend too much time shaking the jar – you end up with frozen whipped cream that almost feels like butter. On the other side of the spectrum, if you just do a wrist shake for a couple of minutes (as seen in some YouTube videos), the volume of the mix only changes slightly, and after the freezer you’ll end up frozen Liquefied cream quickly .

I think the trick to getting it right is doing it at your own pace and don’t be afraid to check the mix and go on or stop. Once you start to shake, you will feel the volume inside the jar change: it gets denser and heavier. You should verify as soon as you feel this change. Stick your spoon and see what the mixture looks and feels like. If it is still too thin (it does not cover the spoon like a dough and it has almost not doubled in volume), replace the lid and shake for another minute, then check again.

There is something magical about making your own ice cream, especially when it is literally handmade. It feels 100 times more special than anything bought in the store. If you have kids this is a fun family activity and some arm training so everyone wins! Reward yourself with your own handmade candy and play with the flavors however you like.

How to make ice cream from mason jar

To make the base of the flavors you want to try, all you really need are four ingredients and a 16-ounce mason jar. You will get approximately three servings of ice cream.

Find the basic Mason Jar Ice Cream recipe on CNET’s sister site Chowhound. It makes a classic vanilla that you can dress up with your favorite ice cream toppings once it’s ready.

Or if you want to go a step further, mix some additional ingredients before freezing it. Once you’ve mastered it, flavor combinations will go as far as your creativity takes you.

Here are two variations to start:

Mint chocolate mason jar ice cream

I experimented with one of our favorite flavors at home, a mint chocolate chip. For this one, I soaked fresh mint leaves in half the cream and added chocolate chips before freezing them.

Ice cream ingredients

• Half a cup of thick mint cream, impregnated and cooled (instructions below)
• Half a cup of thick cream
• 1.5 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• A quarter teaspoon of salt
• Half a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mint cream ingredients

• Half a cup of thick cream
• Handful of fresh mint leaves

Instructions

one) In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat half a cup of heavy cream until simmering.

two) Take off the heat and add mint leaves. Cover and let sit for two hours.

3) Strain the thick cream and set it aside to cool. (You can do this step the day before and store it in the refrigerator overnight.)

4) When the thick mint cream is done, combine it with the additional half cup of thick cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a mason jar. Secure the lid.

5) Shake the mason jar for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on its strength and speed), until the cream thickens and almost doubles in volume. The mixture should be able to easily cover the back of a spoon and feel like a loose dough.

6) In a bowl, combine your ice cream base with the chocolate chips, then pour everything back into the mason jar. Secure lid tightly and freeze for at least 3 hours, or until ice cream hardens.

Balsamic strawberry mason jar ice cream with black pepper

Then I was a little over the top with toasted berries, balsamic vinegar, and ground black pepper. I can’t recommend this recipe enough, it’s my new summer hit.

Ingredients

• Half a cup of sliced ​​strawberries
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• A quarter teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

one) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

two) Combine the strawberries with honey in a bowl until covered and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring once. Let the strawberries cool before mixing them into your ice cream base. (If you don’t want strawberry chunks in your ice cream, you can take this one step further and puree your blender or food processor after allowing them to cool).

3) Follow the standard mason jar vanilla ice cream recipe to make the base.

4) Before freezing, mix your ice cream base with toasted strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and ground pepper in a bowl. Mix to combine and pour into the mason jar.

5) Let the ice cream harden in the freezer for about 3 hours before serving.

Keto Mason Jar Ice Cream

If you’re cutting carbs, it’s also possible to make a keto mason jar ice cream recipe with erythritol. We all scream for ice cream, after all.

This story was originally published in Chowhound.