Ice Cream in a Bag

Make your own delicious homemade ice cream using a cool science trick! Learn how salt and ice create a 'brine' that freezes your cream mix into a tasty treat.

Materials

• gallon-sized freezer bags (3)
• milk (1 cup)
• heavy cream (1 cup)
• sugar (1/2 cup)
• salt (1 cup total, split into two 1/2 cup portions)
• salt (1 pinch)
• vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon)
• ice (10 cups)
• towel (1)

Safety

• Adult supervision required for sharp objects.
• Adult supervision required for children under 8.

Steps

1. In the first freezer bag, pour in the milk, heavy cream, sugar, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract.
2. Squeeze out as much air as possible from the first bag and seal it tightly. Mix the ingredients together by massaging the bag.
3. In the second freezer bag, pour 5 cups of ice and 1/2 cup of salt. Mix them together to create a brine.
4. Repeat the process for the third freezer bag by adding the remaining 5 cups of ice and 1/2 cup of salt.
5. Lay the towel flat on a surface. Place the bag of ice cream mix in the center and sandwich it between the two bags of brine.
6. Fold the other half of the towel over the top of the bags to insulate them.
7. Let the mixture sit and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
8. Once frozen, carefully cut a small corner off the ice cream bag and squeeze the ice cream into a bowl to serve.