Camp Ice Cream

***Warning***

This product is addictive and may cause undesirable brain freeze and jumping up and down in small, medium and large humans.

You may consider consulting a friend if you experience: to much Joy, smiling, happy jitters, uncontrollable excitement or plain ol' happiness.

Please proceed with Caution!!!

What, we can make ice cream at camp?

Ok lets just get one thing out of the way upfront... Camp made Ice Cream is by no means cheap and just buying already made ice cream for all those little mouths is much much much cheaper. So then why are we doing this you say.

Cuz it's FUN!!! & it's a good science experiment.

Below is the recipe for some great Camp Ice Cream. This makes enough for one scout. Also read further to see the science behind "How this Works".

On a side note... We had a great leader, we will call him "Bobby", who made some Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler to go with our Camp Ice Cream at our 2021 Robbers Cave Campout and man it was good. So why not add some campfire cobbler to this treat.

How to:

• 1/2 cup half and half

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoon sugar

• 2 tablespoons rock salt

• Ice

• 1 sandwich sized ziploc bag

• 1 gallon sized ziploc bagIONS

Add the half-and-half, vanilla and sugar to the small bag, seal tightly. Add to the larger ziploc bag, half the ice. Then sprinkle with half the salt. Add the small bag and cover with the rest of the ice and salt. Be sure it's filled to the top with ice. Seal and shake...shake...shake! 10 - 15 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency.

Helpful note: If possible use a swim, bath or hand towel to wrap the bags in. This will keep little hands from getting uncomfortably cold and it helps to insulate the bag so that the salt and ice can pull the heat from the cream and not the outside air.ME OTHER FLAVOR IDEAS:

Why not take it to the next level:

Add a teaspoon of cocoa to your bag for chocolate ice cream.

Add a tablespoon of chocolate chips

Add a tablespoon of toasted almonds

Add a tablespoon of cookie crumbs

Add a tablespoon of finely chopped strawberries (make sure to drain them!)

Add a tablespoon of chopped banana

Here is what we did at camp:

We set up a station for each ingredient. One parent (yes gets parents engaged) manages a station.

The scouts formed a line (always best to let youngest go first) and first they get a small zip lock bag then head to the Sugar Station where they get to use the measuring cup and scoop 2 tablespoons of sugar out and into their small zip lock, then off to the next station - the vanilla. A parent uses the lid of the vanilla and pours it into the scouts bag, then off to the next station - the 1/2 & 1/2. A parent pours the 1/2 cup of 1/2 & 1/2 into the scouts bag, then a parent helps the scout seal the bag getting as much air out as possible. Next the scout gets a gallon bag and to the next station - ice. A parent scoops enough ice into their bag to cover the small bag, then the next station the scouts can scoop the salt into their bag. A parent helps place the small bag into the large one and seal with no air in bag. Help them wrap in a towel and let them shake.

Ok now for the science:

For the same reason salt is used on icy roads and sidewalks in winter explains why salt is mixed with ice to make ice cream.

Salt causes the ice to melt. When salt and ice mix, the freezing point of the ice is lowered and the freezing point reached depends on the amount of salt used. The more salt is added, the lower the temperature can get before the saltwater solution freezes. For example, water will normally freeze at 32℉ (0℃). A 10% salt solution freezes at 20℉ (-7℃) and a 20% solution freezes at 2℉ (-17℃). When salt is added to ice (or snow), some of the ice melts because the freezing point is lowered. Keep in mind, however, that heat must come from somewhere to melt the ice. The heat that causes melting comes from the surroundings and, in this case, it’s from the warmer cream mixture.

By lowering the temperature at which ice freezes, you were able to create an environment in which the cream mixture could freeze at a temperature below 32℉ (0℃) and become ice cream. The shaking (or stirring in an ice cream maker) moves the warmer cream mixture from the inside to the outside of the bag so it can freeze evenly. That way you make a smoother product. It also adds air to the final product so it’s fluffed up a little bit. Yum!