If a machine is used (and the best should be obtained) it will take about half an hour to freeze a cream or water ice. The cylinder should be set in the pail filled with finely crushed ice and rock salt, in the proportion of one part of salt to three or four of ice. To break the ice, wrap carefully in a flannel and pound it with a hammer or flat iron until it is broken into very small pieces. Pack it solidly round the cylinder in layers of about three inches, divided by layers of salt. As it is most important that there should be sufficient salt, it is best to measure both ice and salt accurately with a saucer. The cylinder should be turned slowly for the first ten minutes, then quickly. When the mixture is frozen take out the metal beater, scrape the ice from the sides of the cylinder, beat it well and pack it firmly down. Put on the cover, fix the cylinder down into the pail, and cover with a piece of old felt or carpeting which has been wetted with salt and water. Leave until it is required.
Water should not be drawn off from the pail until there is so much that the cylinder begins to float. When it does, draw off the water and add more salt and ice.
If the ice is to be put into a mould, beat it well and pack firmly into the mould. Cover closely and pack in ice.
Care must be taken in removing the cover of a cylinder or mould that none of the salt mixture falls into the ice.
Ices can easily be made without a machine. The cylinder is replaced by a long round biscuit or coffee tin, about four inches in diameter. Put the tin in a pail. Pack it round with ice and salt as above. Pour the mixture which is to be frozen into the tin and beat it hard for ten minutes. Put on the lid firmly. Cover it with ice and then cover the whole thing with a thick blanket or piece of carpet. Leave it for an hour. Remove the ice on lid of the tin, wipe it and take it off. Scrape off the frozen mixture at the sides and beat very hard again for ten minutes. Replace the cover, ice, salt and blanket, and leave for five or six hours, only looking occasionally to see if the water must be drawn off and more ice and salt added. This, although a lengthy process, is very simple and inexpensive and most successful.
For beating, a long wooden spatula, thin at the end and about the size of a carving knife, should be used.
It is essential that rock salt and not common salt be used. Snow can be used instead of ice, but is not quite so good.
To take out ice, dip the cylinder quickly in hot water and shake it gently.
Scald the tins in which ices are made directly they are emptied, and dry in the oven.
If cream ices are to be put in moulds it will be found more satisfactory to add to them a little dissolved gelatine in the proportion of ¹⁄₂ oz. of gelatine to two quarts of cream.
Cream ices are excellent served with a hot chocolate, fruit, or wine sauce. The sauce should be served separately.