Folks, with the weaning of Natalie (the Funky Butte Ranch’s first goat mom)’s kid in early May, I’d like to begin a discussion here about the best way to make ice cream. Those of you ho have read Farewell, My Subaru know how serious an endeavor this is for me — ice cream, as far as I’m concerned, is a food group. So if I can make it locally, I cut my carbon miles significantly.
As a total newbie, I’ll start with solicitations for both recipes and ice cream makers. I’ve heard that vintage ice cream makers are better — that they are more metallic and durable than (shocker) plastic/digital varieties made in globalization-era slave factories. Natalie is a Nubian and the Walt (the father) is Saanen, so hopefully the milk will be fatty enough for ice cream (ice cream potential is the #1 — and probably #2-8 — reason I sought our Nubians on Craigslist). If this forum broadens into a cheese and yogurt recipe exchange as well, all the better. Happy local protein eating to all.
Move over Chunky Monkey, here comes Funky Goat - healthy and capriniciously tasty
I like to call my goat’s milk ice cream “reduced calorie.” For my first batch of ice cream, I made the mistake of using my usual recipe. It tasted like eating frozen eagle brand milk. Just try to imagine how disgusting that was! Now, I know to reduce the sugar by about half (hence the reduced calorie part). I will admit to using an ice cream maker probably made by globalization-era slaves, but it was a gift and what can you do?
We have a la mancha (crazy, neurotic creature), and alpine/saanen mix(the Mother Theresa of the goat world). We also had a nubian/saanen mix. The alpine cross makes the best ice cream, but it’s all to die for. Here’s my recipe and another warning. If you use organic vanilla and egss from the yard, your ice cream will be a strange brown color.
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
9 cups milk
4 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Beat eggs, then add sugar. Beat until stiff. Add remaining ingredients and mix.
This recipe can be halved.
White Mountain hand crank ice cream maker. If you take care of it, it will outlast you. Cheers!
I second the White Mtn. maker. Expensive, yes; but we’re talking about “white-gold” here, so it’s worth it. They should include some “old-fashion” recipes; but whatever you do, go as full-fat as you desire; and don’t buy into the fat/cholesterol bogeyman - complete and “udder” BS.
Start basic - milk, cream, sweetener, eggs, vanilla - then build from there. peace
The faster you freeze your goat’s milk mix, the smaller the crystals and the smoother the ice cream. Dry ice works like a charm (-80 degrees Celcius), no ice cream maker required. About 1kg of dry ice, added to the mixer a little bit at a time, will yield a creamier product than you’ll get out of a commercial ice cream machine. Though, not sure of the environmental implications of solid CO2.
Congrats on the new book. I just received my copy (delivered to me in Scotland) from Michael Brody’s father in-law (my uncle). Good luck!
Check out Fankhauser’s Cheese Page. There’s lots of recipes for goat’s milk, including icecream. I haven’t made the icecream myself, but good luck!http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Ice_Cream/ICECREAM00.HTM