Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

This recipe has been adapted from one I use in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (p. 219 in the 1968 edition). I make this every 4th of July at least. And on National Vanilla Ice Cream Day (July 23)! As much as I like Hershey's Chocolate Syrup on Blue Bell's Homemade Vanilla, for some reason fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, etc.) makes the best garnish for this version.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2.5 cups sugar
• 7 cups whole milk (6.5 might be better to prevent overflow during freezing, and Jersey milk is my favorite)
• 3 cups whipping cream
• 2.5 tablespoons vanilla (2 is probably enough, depending on your preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Beat eggs until light.
2. Add sugar gradually, beating until thick.
3. Add remaining ingredients; mix well.
4. Chill mixture for about 2 hours in refrigerator to minimize the churning time.
5. Add mixture to ice-cream maker can and freeze in 6-quart ice cream freezer.

To freeze, place dashers in mixture can and put on can top. Place can assembly in empty ice-cream freezer tub. Connect electric motor to can and dasher assembly. Add ice to the tub surrounding the mixture can, to a level approaching the top of the can. Add 2 cups of rock salt to top of ice. Turn on electric motor. As ice melts down a few inches, add more ice and two more cups of salt to near the top of the can. Stop churning after about 20 to 30 minutes when motor begins to labor. Remove motor and transfer softly frozen ice cream mixture to containers to complete freezing in a freezer over a couple of hours. Makes about 1 gallon.