Who wants ice cream? Photographer John Nelson of Ericson, Nebraska captured this little sweetie taking a turn cranking the handle of an ice cream maker in about 1910.
Who wants ice cream? Photographer John Nelson of Ericson, Nebraska captured this little sweetie taking a turn cranking the handle of an ice cream maker in about 1910.
Making ice cream was often a family activity. The cream mixture was placed in the interior compartment of the ice cream maker which contained a paddle connected to the hand-crank. The more the cream mixture is cranked the smoother the ice cream. Ice and rock salt were then placed between the interior compartment and the exterior bucket. The salt causes the ice to melt and lowers the temperature below the fresh water freezing point, but the water does not freeze due to the salt content. The sub-freezing temperature helps slowly freeze and make the ice cream.
Do you want to try your hand at a vintage ice cream recipe? Check out the page from the White Ribbon Cook Book by the Clay County Temperance Union published in 1900 for “Ices, Ice Creams and Beverages” from the Nebraska Library Collection at History Nebraska.
