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Your ice cream maker can accomplish more than simply churning out ice cream, like making sorbets or even cold dips. What’s more impressive is that an old coffee container can accomplish what an ice cream maker can.
If you have old coffee cans, you can use them to churn out fresh ice cream faster than many ice cream machines. Sure, there’s a bit of a workout involved as you have to roll the coffee can on the floor for about 20 minutes to get the cream, milk, and sugar mixture to the right consistency and temperature. However, you also get the satisfaction of opening up the old coffee can you were probably going to toss and enjoying fresh homemade ice cream from it, not to mention you can use this method to make literally any flavor of ice cream that you can find the ingredients for.
The process works best if you have two coffee cans with lids, with one small enough to fit completely inside another with at least a finger’s worth of space between the two cans. Thus, consider using a 3-pound coffee can paired with a smaller 1-pound or 10-ounce can. The ingredients for the ice cream go into the small can, which is then sealed with duct tape and placed in the large can. Fill the large can with ice and ice cream salt before sealing it. Also known as rock salt, this is a special type of salt used to make homemade ice cream and helps lower the freezing point of ice. There are several ways to make ice cream without an ice cream machine, so you can also substitute the coffee cans with Ziploc bags to make homemade ice cream.
Things to remember when making ice cream in a coffee can
The two-coffee-can method works best with metal coffee cans since the material is great at transferring the cold temperature from the ice to the ingredients inside. They are also less likely to crack, which, depending on which can cracks, could get salty water on your floor or in the ice cream. The ice cream base is made with either equal parts heavy cream and whole milk or simply half-and-half. In addition to the cream base, add sugar, a pinch of salt, and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract for a simple vanilla ice cream, but anything from espresso powder to chocolate syrup and fruit preserves can be used to flavor your ice cream. You can also use flavored milk or infuse the heavy cream with aromatics like cinnamon or orange zest.
Sealing both cans securely is particularly important because, as with the can getting damaged, any leaks can result in a lot of extra work. Also, use moisture-resistant duct tape since the ice forms a lot of condensation on the cans. Rolling the can is easier when done with a partner, but can also be done alone. After about 10 minutes of rolling, when a thick layer of condensation is formed on the outside, rinse and then open the cans to stir the ingredients and re-combine everything. At this point, you can add mix-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, and more. Seal both the cans again, refill the larger one with ice and salt, and roll again for 10 minutes. You’ll know the ice cream is ready when the volume of the cream has increased significantly and the texture is light and airy.
