Grandma's Homemade Ice Cream

Let me start by saying that I LOVE ice cream.  Quite possibly more than any other human has ever loved ice cream...OK, maybe not quite that much - but close :)  This recipe is my Grandma Patton's (Liv's great-grandma) homemade ice cream recipe.  

Several years ago I asked her for it & ended up learning 3 things besides how to make her ice cream. 


#1 - Grandma Patton is known for forgetting to tell you important parts of the recipe that she's changed.  So when she gives you a written copy & says "Here you can copy it down"  always assume that she doesn't do it like the recipe says.  Lesson learned (2 batches of ice cream later - haha!)


#2 - This recipe uses raw eggs & is made without cooking the mixture.  Now all of today's "experts" will throw a fit & want us to believe that we can die if we eat this stuff.  However, my Grandma wants us to all know that she has been eating this recipe since she was a little girl & she is now 86 years young so she's fairly certain it is no more dangerous than most of the processed junk we stuff our faces with.  I tend to agree with her.


and #3 - No amount of recipe copying can actually duplicate the flavor of ice cream made by Grandma.  Apparently, her sticking her finger in it DOES affect the taste.  But this recipe will get you a close replica.  As with most replicas, it will never be as good as the original :) 

Grandma Patton's Homemade Ice Cream

6 eggs
3 + 1/8 + 1/4 cups of sugar (or 3-3/8 cups if that makes it easier :)
7.5 cups of milk (2%) - Use 32 oz. of half & half and add 2% milk to get a total of 7.5 cups 
6 cups of milnot
6 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. salt


Beat eggs, gradually add sugar to beaten eggs.  Continue to beat until mixture is very stiff.  Add remaining ingredients & mix thoroughly.  Pour into ice cream maker & freeze as directed.  


You can make the mixture the night before & put it in the refrigerator until the next day when you want to make the ice cream. 


I usually use the ice cream maker to make the ice cream & then remove the "bucket" & put it in the freezer to freeze solid.  I've just never had Grandma's knack for getting it to freeze using the rock salt & ice method after the churning is done.  I'm going to lay the blame on not having one of those old rag rugs & a bunch of newspapers to throw over the maker because I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with my incompetence with the science involved in using rock salt & ice...


This recipes makes enough ice cream for the 6 qt. ice cream makers. 


Don't forget...You're gonna need rock salt & probably 2-3 bags of ice too.

(I didn't take this pic, but this recipe makes ice cream that looks just like this :) 

If you're like my MIL & husband you can ruin this ice cream with toppings or even try creating other flavors.  I always shudder when one of them hollers "Got any Hershey's", but you can eat it that way if you must.  I'm just not sure WHY you'd want to :)