Don’t Put Raw Eggs in Your Homemade Ice Cream

BY KIM HGUHES –

There is no clear information on when or how ice cream was created. One story is that in 1744, Colonists brought over recipes from Europe, or that in 1782 Martha Washington left a bowl of cream outside one night at Mt. Vernon and the next morning discovered ice cream.

There are a myriad of ice cream recipes out there and many use raw eggs in the mixture. This is a food safety issue due to the risk of the food borne illness Salmonella. Salmonella isn’t a new illness. It was first discovered by, an American scientist named, Dr. Salmon over 125 years ago. Most people with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within 12 and 72 hours after infection. It usually lasts 4 to 7 days and most individuals recover without treatment.

Although you may have prepared homemade ice cream before using raw eggs, you may have been one of the lucky ones. It is estimated by the CDC that 1.2 million illnesses and approximately 450 deaths occur due to non-typhodial Salmonella annually in the U.S.

A quick tip for preventing Salmonella is not to eat or drink foods containing raw eggs.  You can still enjoy homemade ice cream without the risk of Salmonella by making cooked custard as your base.  Custard that is heated to an internal temperature of 160 degrees and then cooled will kill Salmonella, if present.

Quality homemade ice cream starts with quality ingredients. The creaminess you will get depends upon the type of milk you use. Skim or low-fat milk will be similar to ice milk; using whole milk, half and half, light cream or heavy whipping cream for any part of the milk will produce a creamy, decadent, gourmet ice cream.

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture in Polk County offers information on summer food safety to help you keep your summer food activities safe. For your free copy of ice cream recipes and tips, contact me at 479-394-6018 or visit the Extension Service at 211 DeQueen Street in Mena.

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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