When I think of July 4th and food, the first items that come to mind are corn on the cob, watermelon, and ice cream!! The corn on the cob and watermelon pretty much take care of themselves, but not the ice cream. So many choices, so many flavors!

I think I made a great find at a garage sale when I purchased the Complete Book of Homemade Ice Cream for a quarter! It also includes Milk Sherbet and Sherbet recipes. This book dates from 1973 and boasts 300 recipes!

With the 4th right around the corner, I thought I’d share a few recipes from this book that look the tastiest!

First, a few ice cream making tips from Carol Anderson, the author of the Ice Cream book.

• If no cooking is required, often the ingredients can be combined right in the freezer can, which means fewer dishes to wash.
• If ice cream is to be hand-stirred during freezing, or if it is to be removed from one container to another, use a wooden spoon to prevent transfer of heat to the mix.
• Always allow space in the freezer can for expansion of the ice cream when it freezes. Approximately 1/3 of the can is needed for the swell.
• Cool the mix to room temperature or slightly lower before freezing. Churn-freezing a warm mix may cause a buttery texture due to the increased freezing period.
• Rock salt can be saved for later use by pouring the used ice and salt mixture into a burlap sack. The the ice melt to leave the salt.
• Lightly whipping ingredients such as egg whites or cream before adding them to the mix makes a creamier frozen product.
• Chill serving dishes for 5 minutes in the freezer if the frozen dessert is not too firm.
• To decorate ice cream, work on a cookie sheet over a pan of ice.

Okay, ready to make some ice cream? Try these recipes on for size.

World-Famous Philadelphia Vanilla

6 cups light cream

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 vanilla beans (3-inch size), split

1/8 teaspoon salt

In top of a double boiler, combine 3 cups cream, sugar, vanilla beans, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Remove beanpods, scraping pulp and seeds into the cream. Cool.

Add remaining 3 cups cream to the cooled mixture and mix well. Churn freeze. Makes 1/2 gallon.

Anderson notes that this is a key recipe, so cooks can use their own imagination to add fruits, nuts or flavorings to the vanilla to create many other great ice cream treats.

Banana Marshmallow Ice Cream

Anderson marked this one as a favorite of hers. It is certainly unusual.

1 cup milk

30 marshmallows

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 cups sliced bananas (about 4 bananas)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 1/2 cups heavy cream

In an electric blender, combine milk, marshmallows, sugar, sliced bananas, and lemon juice. Blend on high speed.

Whip heavy cream and then stir into blended banana mixture. Still-freeze. Makes 1/2 gallon.

Anderson notes that still-freezing is just what it sounds like. You make the ice cream mix, put it in a container, and freeze it in the freezer. No churning required. You can churn ice creams mixes that are made for still-freezing, but don’t still-freeze a mix that was created for churning. The still-freeze mixes have a lot more air whipped into them.

Blueberry Ice Cream

2 pints fresh blueberries

1 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups heavy cream, lightly whipped

1 cup evaporated milk

Mash berries and cook with sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

Press berries through a sieve. Cool.

Add salt, lightly whipped heavy cream and evaporated milk to the berries.

Churn freeze. Makes 1/2 gallon.

For more great freezable flavors, try Gourmet Ice Pops for Kids and Adults. It’s full of great flavors, from kids’ favorites, to more sophisticated flavors, to naughty but delicious alcohol-infused party pops. Available exclusively through Amazon. On sale for the 4th at 99 cents. Now that’s a great party waiting to happen!

Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Pops-Kids-Adults-ebook/dp/B007SPP0I2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341240133&sr=1-1&keywords=gourmet+ice+pops+for+kids+and+adults