There are few tasty delights of the often flaky and wet winter snow that can equal a good bowl full of snow ice cream.
The approaching winter weather in Bradley County and along the red-brick streets of Warren call for such a concoction.
If the younger generation doesn’t know – snow ice cream – has been around for a long, long time.
It is a true “southern” treat.
By Maylon Rice
Saline River Chronicle Feature Contributor
Mostly, my grandparents would remind us – other than a special occasion or the 4th of July and only when ice was available, was homemade ice cream made.
The snow ice cream recipe, reprinted below and expanded upon is truly one of the most versatile and visited recipes once the white, wintry mix begins to fall.
And good snow ice cream, made well, is very delicious.
We always raked the snow from the hood or top of the automobiles that were always parked outside – later in life we did have a “carport” of sorts, but that quickly became a staging area for such items as motorcycles, bikes, and other stuff – the cars and pickup trucks were again relegated to the drive ways.
After scooping out a dishpan sized bowl full of the pure white, snow, we headed into the kitchen where my mom or grandmother had prepared the mixture to be hand-whipped into the bowl of ice cream.
A vigorous stirring of the contents with a wood spoon or an oversized tablespoon – often an Army or Military Surplus metal utensil until the ingredients were perfectly set, we did one or two steps more to ensure the icy delight.
We would set the plastic bowl or metal dishpan into the chest type freezer inside the house, or if in a small bowl, we would place it in the freezer department of the fridge.
If there was no room for all the frozen meat such as squirrels in cardboard milk cartons (the same for bream and perch) or the white butcher papered rows and rows of venison, we would just go back outside with the pan of snow ice cream and install it once again on the top of the pick-up truck or car for another 15-20 minutes letting the concoction re-freeze.
About 15 minutes was all we kids could withstand, until already chilled to the bone playing out in the snow outside, we wanted some snow ice cream – no matter how cold we were.
It was an absolute delight.
And a soon-to-be “brain freeze” quicker than a Wag-A-Bag Icee on a hot August morning after marching practice at old Warren High.
Here is the basic recipe:
SNOW ICE CREAM
Gather up a large plastic bowl or dish pan sized metal pan with snow off the top of an elevated surface – a car hood, top of a pick-up truck or a low hanging eave of the house.
Inside the house, mix two raw eggs, a cup of sugar, a heaping tablespoon of vanilla flavoring and perhaps a splash of milk – some will use evaporated milk.
Add this mixture directly into the snow in the pan and stir and stir and stir under well mixed.
We always let this mixture “set” for 15-20 minutes either back outside if it was indeed cold enough not to melt.
Or put in in the freeze compartment of the chest type freezer or if room in the fridge to “set”
Scoop it out and eat.
A tasty Pastime that can be changed and altered to suit one’s own taste from anything from adding any flavored cold soda – Dr. Pepper, to me is the absolute best. Some folks use Eagle Brand Milk or even a whipping cream rather than regular milk in the mixture.
Brrrrr it’s going to be cold when snow ice cream comes into vogue.
But it is a Pastime of a lifetime. Fresh snow, chilly temperatures in Warren and Bradley County.
Bon Appetit!