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Ohio 4-H Youth Development

Ohio State University Extension

CFAES

Food Science – Making Ice Cream

Join our 4-H teens as they step into the world of food science!

What are we learning about today?
Did you know some people make a living studying food? They are called food scientists. Food scientists use chemistry, biology and engineering to make new products and study the food we already eat.

Want to try out being a food scientist yourself?
Check out the experiment below!

What do you need?Ice cream in a bowl

  • ¼ cup of sugar

  • ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

  • 1 cup of milk

  • 1 cup of half and half  

  • Crushed ice

  • 1 cup of rock salt

  • 1 quart and 1 gallon-size freezer bags

  • Duct tape

  • Bath towel

  • Your favorite toppings

Try it yourself!

  1. Pour the milk, whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla into a small (quart-size) freezer bag. Make sure it's sealed tightly by folding a piece of duct tape over the top to prevent leaks.
  2. Put the small bag into a bigger (gallon-size) freezer bag 
  3. Surround the smaller bag with crushed ice inside the bigger bag. This helps freeze the liquid into ice cream.
  4. Sprinkle about 3/4 to 1 cup of salt over the ice. Salt helps lower the freezing point of water, making the ice even colder. This will make our mixture freeze faster!
  5. Seal the big bag, wrap it in a towel (so your hands don't freeze), and shake it for about 10 minutes. Shaking keeps the ice crystals small, so the ice cream turns out smooth and creamy instead of icy.
  6. Open the big bag and carefully take out the small bag.
  7. Before opening, wipe off the small bag so no salty water gets inside with your ice cream.
  8. Cut the top off the bag, scoop into cups, and enjoy! You can even add your favorite toppings like fruit, nuts, or coconut!

Open and print the supply list for yourself!

Learn more here!