If any one food may be considered as America’s national dish, it is ice cream. Ice cream is a food particularly adapted to the needs of individuals of all ages, giving as it has the best type of nutrients for the repair of bone, teeth, blood and muscles and for energy. Today thousands of housewives make their own ice cream. As a consequence, the making of this highly nutritious food at a reduced cost, yet without in an way impairing the product, is of importance. Home economists have found a means to this end in the use of evaporated milk. There are three important reasons why evaporated milk makes the best ice cream, they point out. Because 60 per cent of the natural water in evaporated milk has been removed by evaporation, there is over twice the percentage of solids present in this type of milk than there is in ordinary market milk. Since it is the solids that give ice cream its pleasing flavor, this fact is of moment. Then, the composition of evaporated milk is constant for the reason that it has been put through a homogenizing process, which breaks up the fat globules into tiny particles and distributes them evenly throughout the milk. This attribute makes for an ice cream mixture of uniform quality and fine texture. Finally, experts agree that the use of evaporated milk in ice cream contributes to its hygienic qualities for the reason that evaporated milk is entirely sterile. Health authorities declare that milk and cream should be treated to a heat of 150 degrees F. for half an hour in order that a product may be produced free from infective organisms. Evaporated milk is processed at 340 degrees for 30 minutes and therefore, its introduction into an ice cream mixture increases its purity in proportion to the amount of evaporated milk used.
