Make Dry Ice Cream

3 Parts:

Steps

Tips

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Making dry ice cream provides you with quick and easy ice cream that you can always have on hand. This ice cream is carbonated. You don't really need to have an ice cream maker to get consistently good results. Dry ice is a solid carbon dioxide and has a temperature of -109.3F (-78.50C.) It is used to preserve other frozen foods aside from ice cream. It is used to chill the interior of an ice cream cart while on a hot day to keep the popsicles hard. It is also used to add some eerie effects in your Halloween punch because of the "fog" that it creates when placed in liquid. Dry ice is recommended because it is inexpensive and easy to find. It is also easy to handle. However extremely cold temperature may damage the skin after prolonged exposure. It may only set you back a few dollars when you purchase dry ice.

The dry ice cream technique can be used with a variety of flavors for ice cream. If your recipe has mix-ins, like chocolate chips, mix them after churning the base. The easiest way to churn the ice cream is to stir everything in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on or you can stir by hand. You can make things easier and faster if you have someone to help you pour the dry ice. The dry ice ice cream will taste slightly carbonated, but this will not linger. It can be stored in an airtight container in a freezer or served immediately.

Ingredients

• Dry ice
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Procedure

1. 1
   Crush the dry ice

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   You do this by putting the dry ice in a Ziploc bag, paper bag, or in a towel and smash it with a hammer, mallet, or a rolling pin to break the dry ice into small pieces or until it's sandy, fine powder. Do not zip the bag completely. Smashing the dry ice requires force. Take note that all the pieces must be smaller than a pea.

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2. 2
   Around 3 times the weight of the ice cream mix for the dry ice

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   Some may sublimate (change directly from solid to gas without going through a liquid state) before you can use it so it is advisable to purchase more than what you need.

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3. 3
   Use a food processor or blender to turn solid dry ice into powder

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4. 4
   Churn the ice cream base at medium speed using a paddle attachment and stand mixer.

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5. 5
   Place a spoonful of dry ice into a bowl while you churn until the cream is thick enough to be scooped

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   This should take about five minutes for a moderate amount of ice cream.

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6. 6
   Pour the chilled ice cream into a bowl of the stand mixer with paddle attachment

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   Place the mixer on medium-low and gradually pour the crushed dry ice into the bowl. Make sure that all of the dry ice had sublimated before you serve it. To be specific, check the bottom of the mixer bowl for any dry ice settled and use a mixer to mix it into the ice cream.

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7. 7
   Mix all the other ingredients in a huge mixing bowl

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   Ice cream will start to freeze as the dry ice begin to "fog". Put the dry ice slowly, and stop adding it when the ice cream freezes. Churn for 2 to 3 minutes. If you prefer chocolate flavored ice cream rather than vanilla ice cream, add one cup of chocolate syrup.

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8. 8
   Shake the dry ice and ice cream a little bit at a time and mix at intervals.

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9. 9
   When you add more dry ice, it will begin to harden and it becomes more difficult to mix

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   Continue placing more dry ice until the ice cream has resulted into your desired consistency.

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10. 10
    You may stir in those candy pieces or flavorings

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11. 11
    You can freeze the remaining ice cream for later use.

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This ice cream can be very cold. Be careful in eating too much cold food because you might get brain freeze. Place the frozen ice cream in the fridge for a while so it could be scooped out easily.

• The required amount of dry ice may vary. Most stores sell it by weight and oddly shaped. They could also appear in large chunks. You really don't need an exact amount because a little amount isn't going to be an issue in the long run. Observe the mixture as the ice cream churns and it will be easy to tell when it has achieved the right consistency.
• Dry ice ice cream is made through crushing dry ice into fine powder then pouring it into your ice cream while vigorously mixing it. The crushed dry ice will disperse quickly throughout the ice cream base, and as you add more it freezes the mixture.
• If you churn the mixture, it prevents the mixture from turning into solid but instead changes into a creamy ice cream. Since dry ice is cold, it lets the ice cream freeze rapidly and without forming any ice crystals. The result has a smoother texture. Dry ice sublimates, meaning it changes from solid to gas. It sublimates very quickly if added into a liquid. This way, the dry ice used to make the ice cream will sublimate into a cloud of fog as the ice cream churns and nothing will remain when the mixture is ready to eat.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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