Cantaloupe Ice Cream

Do you remember the Donvier Ice Cream Makers? I paid $30 for one when they first came out years (decades?) ago. Talk about an easy way to make ice cream with no mess. Low energy, too. Just stick the cylinder in your freezer for a day - and almost everyone reading this blog has a freezer, even if just the little space above their fridge - and then add your ice cream mixture and crank occasionally until ready.

I liked my Donvier so much that when they later started showing up in thrift stores for $5 or so, I'd snatch them up to give to friends, along with my favorite ice cream recipes. I probably gave away at least half a dozen over the years.

One summer, I tried a new ice cream recipe every single week. The one I was most dubious about - cantaloupe ice cream - turned out to be our favorite. Since it is currently melon season at my CSA, I decided to make this recipe tonight.

Now, you may remember that I had frozen lots of water in case I had to store food for a while before converting my new freezer into a refrigerator. When that became unnecessary, I left one of the tubs of ice in the chest freezer to keep it full. A few days ago, I put the Donvier cylinder in the freezer; the only space available was above the tub of ice.


D'oh! That was a mistake. When I first put in the room temperature cylinder, it must have melted a little of the ice. Then it refroze, securing the cylinder onto the top of the ice. I already had my ice cream mixture made when I discovered this. Rather than give up, though, I just used the Donvier right there in the ice. The gasket that goes on the top rim of the cylinder doesn't have to seat into the white case. The crank handle fits into the gasket, too, not the case.


Half an hour later, we had tasty cantaloupe ice cream. The cylinder is still frozen in the ice so I'm going to let it sit out all night to thaw. Maybe I should blow a fan across it to cool us off!

Want the recipe? Here it is.

Cantaloupe Ice Cream
2 cups cut cantaloupe
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey or brown sugar (honey is tastier)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups soymilk (Non vegetarians may substitute milk. Using 1 cup milk and 1 cup half-and-half will make it richer and creamier.)

Place cantaloupe, lemon juice, sugar, honey, and vanilla in blender.
Blend on low speed until cantaloupe is pureed.
Blend on high speed until mixture is smooth.
Add soymilk and blend to combine.
Pour into ice cream maker and freeze.