IF
YOU CAN’T EAT IT, DRINK IT By
Norris Chambers
The first step was to load the old Model T truck with a boat, a
seine and plenty of food. All night long there had to be hot coffee on
the fire and something in the camp to nibble on when hunger pangs
approached. On this particular trip we decided to make ice cream. We had
never done that before, but what could be so difficult about turning the
crank and dishing out some nice vanilla ice cream?
My mother mixed up the milk and cream and added the correct
amount of sugar and vanilla. We brought out the old 5 quart freezer and
made plans to stop by the general store and get a block of ice. We also
packed a generous supply of bacon and smoked ham and a paper sack full
of corn bread. An old iron pot and a good supply of beans completed our
dining supplies. Our dinnerware consisted of a few tin plates and cups
along with an assortment of forks and spoons.
We pulled off of the county road and drove around the edge of a
field to our usual camping spot on the banks of the creek. While
When we got back to
“Is it about ready?”
“Do you think the salt would make that much difference?” He
asked. “Salt
makes it freeze quicker,” I told him. “But I guess it will freeze.
It will just take longer.” He said he hoped so and the cranking
continued.
About an hour later there was no indication that the cream was
freezing. After a brief discussion we decided that it wasn’t going to
freeze and we decided to have a cold mixture drink instead of a bowl of
ice cream. The sweetened and flavored milk was pretty good and we soon
disposed of the whole gallon.
The beans were boiling nicely and we knew we would have a good
supper.
It was two years later when we learned in a general science class
why we had to have salt to make ice cream. The salt causes the ice to
melt and when melting it absorbs heat from the mixture in the can.
Eventually enough heat is removed from the liquid to cause it to freeze.
The rotation of the can as the crank is turned stirs the cream and keeps
it from freezing and sticking to the inside of the can. Without anything
to cause rapid melting of the ice our ice cream never froze and we had a
cool drink instead. We learned that science lesson the hard way.
We did catch plenty of fish and no science class had to tell us
how to do that.
Of course all fishing trips are fun. This one might have been
more fun with ice cream. But as I told
On the next trip we took the salt. |