Home made ice cream has been a tradition in my family for years, if not decades. If you have ever made ice cream with a traditional ice cream machine, you know how much work it is. It literally takes hours to put all the ingredients together, cool the ice cream down, and turn it until it is at the right consistency. Sometimes it doesn't even work out, and you are left with a wet, slushy mix that does not resemble ice cream at all. The idea of getting an electric ice cream maker seemed like a revelation to me. We could have ice cream cones literally whenever we wanted, and could make any homemade ice cream recipes that we could dream of. Little did I know that convenience is not always a good thing.
With the crank operated ice cream machine, making ice cream was a long and arduous process, but it was also a family event. We would spend hours together, preparing the ingredients, mixing them, and taking turns turning the crank. With the electric ice cream maker, however, everything is so easy. Many of the electric ice cream makers will do everything for you. They will mix the ingredients, cool them, and even automatically whip them up to a certain consistency that you can specify. Before we got the electric ice cream maker, making ice cream was an art. Now, however, there is nothing to it. It is almost as easy as microwaving dinner. It takes all the fun out of it.
The other problem with the ease provided by the electric ice cream maker is that it makes it a little bit too easy to make homemade ice cream. You see, when making home made ice cream was a chore it was something that we saved for special occasions. With an ice cream maker electric, However, ice cream is something that we can make whenever we desire it. The electric ice cream maker takes only minutes, and as a result we all have begun to eat too much ice cream. My wife gets belly aches, and my kids have started to put on weight.
Nonetheless, it is hard to part with the electric ice cream maker. Although it has caused more trouble than it is worth, it is still a nice thing to have. Going back to making ice cream the old-fashioned way will be hard. Electric ice cream makers have spoiled us, But there is something to be said for having to work for your ice cream.
|
