This is an interesing video. It discusses how during WW2 ice cream played a big part in troop morale and he efforts by the military, esp in the far-flung hot Pacific regions, to provide ice cream to the troops.
What makes this interesting is that the military ice cream is made from shelf-stable powdered ingredients…most notable eggs and milk. Now, I loves me some ice cream and the notion of not having to ride out the apocalypse without ice cream has an attraction. That said…..:
Obviously you’re going to need a particular amount of electricity to cool things in your ice cream maker, but often times it’s a lot easier to produce electricity than it is to produce milk and eggs. And I rather like the idea that, once you have the basic ingredients in long-term form, you can whip up some homemade ice cream whenever you want.
And befoe anyone mentions Mountain House’s freeze-died ice cream…it’s not that great. I’ve had it before and its just a bit gummy.
You only need ice, not electricity with a hand cranked ice cream maker (they are cheap) and I’ve used just snow before to cool it as well.
Sure, but where do you get the ice? If you can go outside and just chop it off your rain barrel then its probably so cold you don’t want ice cream anyway. And I doubt most people have huge blocks of lake ice cut up and sitting in sawdust in special house somehwere like in olden days.
Time to experiment!
No idea if this works https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/how-to-make-ice-without-electricity-from-water-and-fertilizer/
You need some Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer but I’m sure you can find that.
After your first hot summer with no ice, someone is going to build an icehouse. Ice cream is best in winter, when you need those calories to stay warm. There’s a reason Alaskans eat more ice cream than Hawaiians.
Well you can build an ice house. They are still in use in Maine and Alaska for instance. The hand crank freezers are still available. When I was doing Civil War reenacting our unit had one. We used dry ice but regular will do. You can get packets of ice cream mix at Walmart. We made lots of ice cream in those summers. But I grew up with my cousin and I always nominated to spin the crank on those weekends where the entire family would get together for a huge farmers dinner and lots of ice cream. It isn’t that hard. Just remember. When the crank is hard to turn stop. Pack the remaining ice around the top. Cover with a wet towel and let it ripen. There are several flavors. And you can use fresh fruit to make your favorite flavor.
Following. As a last century Marine infantry vet I can attest to the morale boosting of treats or delicacy foods when in field, combat, or austere conditions. We hardly got the sweet tooth treats but just having hot chow hall food trucked in in those metal bucket containers, instead of rations all the time was good enough for our ragged bunch. It would be wise to allot space and inventory for the ability to make any sort of desserts, treats, or self rewards type of foods for those hard times. An extreme idea would be an olive drab old styled ice cream truck with on board generator and supplies. Drive around selling ice cream to troops manning the check points or barter with the occupation forces for black market inventory. They will be smiling at the treats like the taliban chaps with the ice cream cones. Kek, funny.
Stay Frosty.
I don’t think bartering with occupational forces or troops would end well for you. They would take your supplies and pilage your home for the rest of it.
Yeah, but ‘mericans were occupational forces for half a century plus and always traded and dealt with local and indigenous peoples. Because behind blades of grass, and all. Don’t ask me how I know. With internet and a really disgruntled society I kinda err on the side of pockets of barter town lads throughout conus or western hemisphere. Very few can compound and hermitage for, how many years was that 1776 thing. When things are spicy don’t discount your own women, or son in law will brain shot you for kit before some such rabble trying to stand up running water and electricity for resource valued areas. Trading your boomer coins won’t be any easier come time. Be flexible, and adapt to market environments. Thanxs Commander for relevant prep/survalister reports. That is all, and carry on.
Stay frostiest.
Try ice cream made with evaporated milk you only need 3 or 4 ingredients and no eggs.
when i was a young’un we still had ice houses in va. we had ice boxes instead of refrigerators. back then it got cold enough to freeze the ponds and even the lake. the lake froze a couple years ago, first time in 40 years.
Global warming got the lake, eh?
Ice was one of the most valuable cargoes on sailing ships to hot destinations to pick up valuable cargoes of warm goods (food/Rum).
Wasn’t there a trade in place for aircrew rescued and delivered vs ice cream? 5 gallons springs to mind.
For ice you could always look at those portable counter top ice machines that can make up to 26lbs of ice cubes per 24hrs. I’ve seen several before being run off of a solar panel and inverter because many of them only take 2 amps during the dump cycle and a running amp of 1.5 amps. So that’s roughly 230Whr to make a batch every 9-15 minutes. Then there’s always the old fashioned ice cube trays in the freezer, while running the genny to keep things cold why not make up some ice cubes too. Then there is the old time of mixing 50/50 ammonium nitrate and water into a metal bowl that’s placed into another bowl or bucket of water.
For the crews morale? I’m guessing the captain and all the officers wanted their ice cream just as much.