How to Make Ice-Cream With Rock Salt

If you've ever had old-fashioned ice cream from a home ice cream-making machine, you know how smooth and creamy delicious it can be. But you don't have to get out a machine to make your own ice cream with rock salt, and you definitely don't have to wait as long to make your own in a bag as it takes with a machine. Rock salt will melt the ice in the bag, helping it cool down the ice cream ingredients until they form into a smooth, creamy treat. This project takes about 10 minutes.

Things You'll Need

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pint-sized plastic zip-close bag
• 6 tablespoons rock salt
• Ice cubes
• 1 gallon plastic zip-close bag

Instructions

1. Combine the half and half, sugar and vanilla extract in the smaller zip-close bag. Seal the bag -- run your thumb and forefinger across either side of the "zip" several times to make sure the bag is properly sealed -- and shake it until the ingredients are well blended.

2. Fill the larger zip-close bag about half-full of ice cubes. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the ice cubes. Place the smaller bag inside the large bag and seal the large bag, running your thumb and forefinger across it as you did with the small bag to make sure the seal is tight.

3. Shake the large bag vigorously for about five minutes; the contents in the inside bag will turn into ice cream. Make sure to keep at least one hand on the zip-seal of the large bag at all times. This will help keep you from shaking it open.

Tips & Warnings

• If you can't get your hands on rock salt, you can make ice cream using table salt instead. The amount and procedure stay the same.

• Take turns shaking the bag with someone else to give your arms a break.

• You can turn this into a fun game by letting each child (or adult) make his own ice cream, racing with his friends to see who gets done first.

References

• How Rock Salt Makes Ice Cream
• Make Your Own Ice Cream
• Table Salt vs. Rock Salt