Ice Cream For Cruisers

They say “necessity is the mother of invention”.

While we were in the remote Jumentos (no stores nor services within a full day’s sail), Mili baked the most enticing apple crisp one afternoon. Only one thing was missing from complimenting her beautiful creation. Ice cream. Creamy, cold, refreshing ice cream.

And that’s when it hit me.

A couple of summers ago, at FC Kids Camp, we taught our cabin of girls to make individual servings of handmade vanilla ice cream. What a perfect treat for cruisers craving this hard-to-keep treat (boat freezers are really small)!

So, I immediately dropped below the companionway stairs and into the galley to find the few ingredients needed to shake, shake, shake up a few batches. Here’s all’s that is needed to make your own.

What you’ll need:

• Sandwich & Quart zipper bags
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp rock or sea salt
• 2 cups ice cubes (1 ice cube tray worth or use the ice when defrosting your freezer)

How to make it:

1. Fill the large bag with ice, and add the rock or sea salt. Seal the bag.
2. Put milk, sugar, and vanilla into the small bag, and seal it.
3. Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
4. Shake, shake, shake until the mixture thickens into ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes or so.
5. Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

A 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. You can also dice up and add dried fruit you may have aboard (mango, peaches, pineapple, apple) for flavored ice cream.