By Staff
Carolyn Bivins
Extension agent
The Month of July is National Ice Cream Month. What counts as a serving of milk based dessert? It’s easy when you know what to look for. (Choose fat free or low fat type most often) Enjoy!
Here are some recipes to help you enjoy this wonderful summer observance:
If you’re making homemade ice cream, protect yourself from the danger of possible Salmonella infection from raw eggs by using an ice cream recipe made with a cooked egg base, commercial pasteurized egg substitutes or without eggs.
Eggless Vanilla Ice Cream
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream or half and half
2 teaspoons vanilla
Combine ingredients and stir briskly about two minutes until sugar is dissolved.  (Undissolved sugar crystals may be a cause of large ice crystal formation.)  Pour into a
1-gallon ice cream freezer can and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions
Easy Ice Cream
This easy ice cream recipe makes an old-fashioned summer treat a delight to mix up as well as to eat.  Because traditional ice cream recipes do not call for cooking, a pasteurized, healthy real egg product such as *Egg Beaters ensures the recipe is safe to eat as it is delicious.  The recipe calls for:
Easy Ice Cream
2 cups cold whipping cream
2 cups cold whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.  Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 1-gallon ice cream freezer can and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions from the danger of possible Salmonella infection from raw eggs by using an ice cream recipe made with a cooked egg base, commercial pasteurized egg substitutes or without eggs. *Trade names were used in recipe for specific information.  Similar products may be substituted.
Here are some recipes that use a custard-like (cooked) base.
Vanilla Ice Cream
1 quart 2% milk
2 cups sugar
3 12-ounce cans evaporated skimmed milk
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons vanilla
Heat half of the 2% milk but do not boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Then add the remaining 2% milk, the four cans of milk and vanilla and stir. Cover and chill for at least 25 to 30 minutes. Chilling longer will increase the volume and make it smoother. Pour chilled mixture into freezer can of an electric or hand-turned freezer. Fill can only two-thirds full to allow for expansion. Put can in freezer bucket and add dasher. Secure lid on can. If using electric freezer, follow manufacturer’s directions. If using a hand-turned freezer, use 1 part ice cream salt to 4 parts chipped or cracked ice. Layer the ice and salt, beginning with ice. Turn freezer slowly and evenly until turning becomes difficult, indicating the ice cream is frozen. Remove stopper from side of freezer bucket and drain off salty water. Then, return the stopper. Clear salt and ice away from the lid and wipe it free of salt. Be sure that no salt water gets into the ice cream. Remove the dasher and press ice cream down in can. Cover top of can with plastic wrap or foil and replace lid. Cork or pack lid to keep salt water from seeping in. Repack freezer with enough ice and salt to come above top of can. Cover with several thicknesses of newspaper and cloth. Put aside in cool place for at least 2 hours to let the cream ripen.
Makes 4 quarts; 32 servings. One serving: ? cup. One serving contains: 108 calories; 9 mg cholesterol; 69 mg sodium; 19 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fat or 16% of total calories. Note: You can use 1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk in place of 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk for a richer, smoother ice cream. However, this will add calories, cholesterol and fat.
Strawberry Ice Cream: Follow recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream and add 2 cups mashed, sweetened strawberries when you add vanilla. You can use frozen, sliced strawberries that have been thawed, drained and sweetened.
Peach Ice Cream: Follow the recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream and add 3 cups mashed peaches when you add vanilla.
Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream: Follow recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream and add 3 cups crumbled chocolate cookies when you add vanilla.
Chocolate Mallow Ice Cream: Follow the recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream and add 4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate to milk as it heats. Stir until chocolate melts. Also, add 2 cups miniature marshmallows and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips when you add vanilla.
Lemon ice cream: 1 large can (12 oz.) frozen orange juice 1 small can (6 oz.) frozen lemonade ? gallon milk 3 cups sugar 2 cartons whipping cream (8 oz. each)
Mix together all of the above and pour in ice cream freezer and freeze. 
Source:  Colbert County Cooperative Extension System.