Country Roads

 


At my hometown celebration of our country’s 246th birthday, there was a wonderful draw of people family and friends. Stories were told as everyone visited with one another, and memories shared. In a small rural community most everyone knows everyone. Often you know or knew their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. All come together to eat, visit and watch the fireworks. A great way to celebrate the 4th of July.

The many kinds of homemade ice cream served were a hit. There is nothing like enjoying a bowl of homemade ice cream on a hot summer’s day. My first memory of this cold treat was when Grandad and Granny Boyles, and uncles came to celebrate a birthday at our house. Father got the large wooden ice cream bucket from the wash house, and Mother poured her mixed ingredients into the heavy metal freezer. Father, had the ice in a gunny sack in large chunks. He would hit at the sack with a hammer to break up the ice. The ice was placed all around the filled freezer and the “have to have” ingredient of salt was poured on the ice. The bucket was then placed onto the wooden steps of the back porch. Father, seated on the seat above it, began turning the handle around and around. I’d ask to help and Father would laugh as he seated me on his lap. I would try my best but the handle only managed to get around once and that was it. Grandfather would take a turn at the cranking. Then my two uncles took their turns. When they would change jobs at the cranking, I managed to grab a piece of the ice from the bucket and poke it in my mouth. The saltiness tasted so good plus the ice was so cooling. Finally the ice cream thickened and it was ready. The metal freezer canister was opened to reveal the reward which was dipped out into bowls to enjoy.


A few years later my family would go into the home of friends, the Johnson family, where the preparing of homemade ice cream was done. It became a tradition with the family friends and us. The two men would take turns turning the crank while we children, not so patiently, waited for the ice cream treat.


First Lady Dolly Madison was the woman who made ice cream famous when she served it in the White House to guests in 1812. The first ice cream cones were sold at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. Pre-made ice cream became popular and was sold in tubs, and cardboard containers.

Who remembers going to the local drug store, sit on a stool at the fountain counter and order ice cream? The “soda jerk” as they were called, would take a dipper out of a glass of water and put it into one of the flavored cardboard tubs, and dump the dips into a tall dish glass filled to the brim with ice cream. Toppings could be added onto the dips of ice cream.


The cranking ice cream freezers have been replaced by electrical powered freezers and hand cranking is not needed anymore. Soft serve ice cream is offered in many eating places and is popular. Containers of packaged ice cream can be purchased in the grocery stores.

Although the pre-made, packaged ice cream is more convenient and less expensive than making the ice cream from scratch, in most cases, the taste and texture of the homemade ice cream can’t be beat. The family and friend fun of coming together and making the homemade ice cream is in itself so special. Memories include the issue of who gets to lick the paddles as they first come out of the metal freezer. It was usually decided by my a father’s King Solomon like choice.


Small towns, celebrations, clubs, churches, all hold homemade ice cream socials. Offering homemade ice cream is still a great money maker for fund raisers. Home made ice cream can be made in many flavors. As the years go by, the variations have grown by adding candy bars, fruits and nuts to the mixture.

Here is a homemade ice cream recipe I found in my Granny’s recipes: Vanilla Ice Cream- three cups of sugar, 7 eggs (separated), a tablespoon of vanilla. Beat the eggs whites, then add the vanilla, and the yolks, and mix well. Pour into the freezer and finish filling 3” from the top, with un-separated milk (meaning cream and milk). Freeze.


Kansas Public Notices

Here’s one of today’s homemade ice cream favorite recipes: Butterfinger Ice Cream- three eggs, two cups sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla, a pinch of salt, three pints of half and half, 8-10 Butterfinger candy bars, chopped, milk. Beat eggs and sugar together. Add salt, vanilla, half and half, Butterfingers, then mix. Pour into a 1/2 gallon ice cream freezer, fill with milk, then freeze.

 

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