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Making Water Ice.

The making of ices is one of the most profitable branches of your business. Of course they require more sugar than does ice cream-to say nothing of the fruit-but for the rest it is water for nothing instead of cream at a price. Yet, on a hot day, there is nothing finer to eat, either by itself or with ice cream, than a good orange water ice. It is a simple matter to turn out a fine ice, but it is just this line of work that many of my fellow craftsmen are lacking. Possibly the simplicity of the work invites carelessness. At any rate, many turn out ices that proclaim their cheapness by their lack of finish.

Ice Creams.

Practical Points for Beginners.

To begin with, proper and clean utensils and good materials are essential points. In the first place a pure, good cream should be obtained of a reliable dealer and be kept cold or "iced up," as the ice-cream maker terms it; that is, the can which contains the cream should be placed in a tub or box constructed for this purpose, allowing enough space around the can for the ice. Next in order will be a tin-lined copper kettle to boil the cream in, porcelainlined or enameled cans, or earthenware dishes to receive it and cool it (this is for creams which require boiling, also water ices, sherbets, etc.). Flavoring extracts should be of the best quality, the eggs fresh and the fruits ripe and sound. Stale eggs and overripe fruit make miserable ice cream. No milk or artificial thickener can give the smooth, rich flavor of pure frozen cream. Pure cream when well frozen will double in bulk, while if milk, or water, or other thinner is used to reduce cost, the ice cream will become hard and icy and will not swell like pure cream, and therefore be almost as costly and not nearly so good. Also use nothing but the very best Mexican vanilla extracts in flavoring ice cream. We recommend our American Double Standard Vanilla as the most suitable vanilla on the market. Artificial or cheap vanilla extract made with some tonka beans may be used in baking or even in making syrups, but if this class of extract is used in ice cream it is bound to show. The best cream will bring the best trade both in the class of customers attracted and the volume of the business done. A good freezer is a necessity; we have them in various styles from 4 quarts to 40, hand or power.

In making ice cream, cream 2 or 3 days old will produce better results than cream only 1 day old; it will work up smoother and will double itself in every run without difficulty-provided, of course, that proper proportions of ice and salt are used and the machine run at proper speed. New cream -cream fresh from the separator-cannot be worked profitably; it will double readily and it will stand forcing, because it is too much worked upthat is to say, the butter fat has not had a chance to congeal and stand another whipping. Besides making up short, the first cream is likely to go into butter, thus giving a fatty product. Hand-skimmed cream may be worked fresher than the other, as the butter fat has not been shaken up as in the separator product.

Opinions differ greatly as to the proper amount of sugar. For unboiled creams 7 ounces, or a little less, sugar to the quart of cream should be the average quantity. Creams sweetened to excess, that is, more than half pound of sugar to the quart, will lose the flavor of the cream and the other ingredients, as well as being injurious to the stomach, and will also take more time to freeze. On the other hand, using too little sugar will make the ice cream coarse and is apt to transform it into little pieces of ice; this can especially be observed in water ices, as ices need considerably more sugar than creams; the more sugar used the smoother the ices will be, remembering not to overdo it; using too much sugar makes it difficult to freeze the batch, and a hard matter to keep it at the proper consistency. From 1 pound to I pound and 4 ounces to the quart is the right proportion for ices. Another and essential point is to keep the goods iced up properly, replenish ice and salt as often as necessary. This operation has twofold results: First, it will keep the cream up to the same quantity, remembering that all creams during the process of freezing will take up a certain amount of air, the same as egg whites beaten into a foam. By allowing the cream to become soft, the air will escape and consequently reduce the bulk. Second, it will tend to become watery and form into small pieces of ice.

Creams while being frozen should not be turned too fast at the start; in this case they are apt to get buttery, but when nearly done the speed of the freezer should be increased until the batch is done. This will tend to lighten the cream and cause it to gain in bulk. A 40-quart freezer will require about 20 minutes to finish with a speed of 80 revolutions a minute. It is not necessary to vary the speed of the machine or the proportions of ice and salt with the age or degree of ripeness of the cream. Coming back to the starting point of freezing; the freezer is packed with crushed ice mixed with rock salt, in the proportion of 4 pounds of ice to I pound of salt.

The ice must be broken fine enough to go down in the tub readily. Good results will never be got if the ice is so coarse that it stays on top of the lid until partly melted. It must be borne in mind, too, that it is not the ice and salt themselves that do the work; it is the brine that actually takes up the heat. And if your tub leaks or the bung is left out, the freezing will be retarded and the cream is likely to become coarse and flaky. These are simple points, but are important in the profitable manufacture of ice cream and should be looked after carefully.

All frozen goods are packed and repacked with this mixture, with an addition of more or less salt, as the case may require; more salt will tend to freeze quicker but will consume more ice. When a batch of cream is frozen it should be repacked or transferred to another can and left standing at least half an hour to "ripen" before being served. As stated before, the sweet cream should be kept iced up in a clean place, for any odor or smell is absorbed by the cream. Cream to be boiled should especially be taken care of in hot or changeable weather, as it will easily curdle. This may be prevented by adding a pinch of soda and constantly stirring until it reaches the boiling point; when eggs are added they should be previously mixed with cream or milk.

Right here your attention is called to a mistaken practice that is followed by many workmen. That is to transfer a finished batch from the machine can to a stack can, strain in the fresh batch and use the same ice for a second run. It is a wrong thing to do, for the strength of the ice and salt is gone; it has done its work. At the end of each run remove the can from the machine, wet the sides and bottom and slide the contents into a packing can -every spoonful of cream will come out readily, and your machine can is ready for another run. Now, to utilize the ice that is left in the tub, just dump it into the break box, then throw it on to the can just transferred and put on another shovel of salt. Your cream will become nice and firm and will keep until next day if you need to carry it over. This practice saves time and money and is the only sure and economical way to manufacture good ice cream.

Making Brick Ice Cream.

To freeze brick cream, whether in large quantities or small, enough salt and time must be allowed to give the cream the necessary hardness. Brick cream can be handled without loss if this method is followed closely. In using the slab or 8-brick mold the most necessary thing to do is to salt the ice properly and mix it thoroughly, thereby equalizing the intensity of cold and making the freezing uniform. If hurried-and it is best not to attempt to turn out brick cream in less than 3 hours-the mixture of salt and ice should be 11½ shovels of ice to I shovel of salt. The molds should not be disturbed in less than 21/½ hours and even then the cream is not in the best of shape, because the turning will cause the cream to become grainy and within a day or two lumpy.

When ready to turn out, arrangements for fast work should have been completed. Have a vat or tub of water heated to between 185 and 200 degrees; dip the mold, turn the cream on the table and cut the bricks. Your assistant places wax paper over them and puts on the boxes, while you are returning to your freezing vat for another tin. You then go through the same motions as before. Your assistant usually has the first 8 covered by the time you start to cut the second slab. Your bricks are taken away by a third party, unless you are handling only small quantities, when you do so yourself after you have cut 10 or 15 slabs.

The best results can be obtained by hurrying the work; hence adopt a system, which will render satisfaction to all concerned and thus saves both salt and ice. Allow the brick to stand over night, at least 15 hours, and use 2½ shovels of ice to I shovel of salt; mix thoroughly and allow 2 inches of ice between layers and 4 inches on top. This leaves the brick in perfect condition, for given ample time to freeze, the grain will always freeze out. Use the regulation brick box-candy design-and wax paper 6½ inches wide by 12/½ long. This covers the long sides, top and bottom, and leaves exposed to the pasteboard only the two ends.

When packing bricks away, the temperature of the storage can should be kept as near even as possible. Ten shovels of ice to 1 of salt should do the work; but, of course, the temperature of the factory must be taken into consideration, and if the 10 to 1 mixture does not do the work, more salt should be used until the desired result is obtained.

Making Ice Cream.

Anyone who wants a "formula for an ice cream which may be made by hand power, without any cooking and that will cost anywhere from 50 to 70 cents a gallon," should try the following easy method for making a 5-gallon batch: Use 2 gallons sweet cream, which is two or three days old, and 2 quarts of sweet milk. First, put 2 heaping quarts (about 4 pounds) of granulated sugar into a gallon measure and pour over the sugar 2 quarts of milk and nearly fill the measure with cream.

Stir the sugar up with a long spoon or paddle until thoroughly dissolved; have the freezing can ready and strain the cream and sugar into it through fine cheesecloth, using a perforated funnel or cone to hold the cloth. It can be worked through the cloth by rapidly stirring with a spoon. Now add the balance of the cream. Two to 4 drams of American Double Standard Vanilla extract should be stirred in with the cream and sugar. The amount of milk used may be varied according to the richness of the ice cream desired, and to how heavy the cream is. Less milk and more cream is necessary if the cream is light or thin, and vice versa.

The batch now ready is supposed to be reasonably cold, as no heat has been used to dissolve the sugar. Place the paddle in the can, cover it and set it in the freezing tub. The easiest and quickest way to break the ice is to use a spade-handle ice-shaver. Put 15 or 20 pounds into a small, strong wooden box about twice as large as the chunk of ice and cut it into pieces about one-half the size of a small lemon. Dump the cut ice around the freezing-can until the tub is full to the top of the can, then cover the top with rock salt liberally, and add a little more fine ice. Now begin to turn the freezer slowly and the ice and salt will quickly settle down. Add another layer of salt and cover to the top with ice and turn the freezer slowly for 15 or 20 minutes, when the cream begins to freeze. The ice and salt can be packed down the easiest by using the broomhandle. Run it or work it down the side and then shake it sideways, which will settle the ice and salt and will not jam the freezing-can.

When the cream begins to freeze the water in the freezer will be threequarters up to the top, or, perhaps, on a hot day, close to the top. This water should not be drawn off while freezing the cream. Now begin to turn the freezer quite fast and continue so until the cream gets quite stiff. While the cream is freezing do not stop turning if it can be avoided, as the cream will quickly turn hard around the freezer next to the ice and salt. A few trials will teach you just what to do. Remove the cover and draw out the paddle, scraping off the cream with a knife. Do it quickly and cover the freezer. Let the cream remain in the freezer for an hour or two to set, then transfer it to the cabinet, using a large spoon or transfer ladle. The cream may be transferred as soon as frozen, but it may be handled better if allowed to stand and get partly hard.

Do not use as much salt in the ice cream cabinet as in the freezer. If the cream gets too hard, use less salt. Always keep the cream scraped down from the side of the can while using it. This will prevent chunks from forming and dropping down into the cream. Never let the cream get too soft-unless to be used in that way-before freezing it again in the packer. Soft cream frozen again in the packer will be icy and of coarse grain. ness.