SnowCream Yay or Nay?

[indigo99]

I remember eating snow icecream when I was little and wondered how many kids nowadays get to do it.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'd do it but I always forget. Loved when my dad made it. Eta- he always put out a fresh bowl and brought it in when full.

[marymoo86]

We had it yesterday! Rare chance for us to enjoy.

[icunurse]

We did it for the first time during the big snow several weeks ago. Actually,we did it twice. Liked it better with the condensed milk vs regular milk and sugar.

[BunnyBee]

We do it when we have a chance, but that's not even annually here!

[indigo99]

Rare chance for us to enjoy.

For us too. This snow was the largest of my DS's lives so far, and they had their first snowcream. DS1 doesn't like icecream or frozen yogurt so I was shocked at how much he liked it.

[eagle]

we love it!!! its grainy and gritty like a really good granita, but creamy. i also prefer either with condensed milk or evaporated milk instead of real milk.

[HannaAddict]

Never even heard of it before.

[carolinacool]

I live in NC, so we definitely don't get a chance to make it very often. I saw a bunch of folks posting about it last night, and I happened to have vanilla extract, so I made it. I think I used a wee too much milk, but I liked it. DS was less impressed. LOL My mom says she made it for us, but again, I was in southern Virginia where measurable snowfall was a rarity, so I don't remember.

I thought about making more today, but decided to pass on digging up 36-hour-old snow. LOL

[TwinFoxes]

Never even heard of it before.

:yeahthat: I have plenty of snow, but I have no idea what you're talking about.

[carolinacool]

I'd heard of it, but didn't know how to make it. My recipe was:

1 gallon of snow
2 cups milks
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

It was fairly ice creamish.

[AngB]

I am usually pretty laidback about germs, etc. but it totally icks me out.

[MMMommy]

Never heard of it. Maybe b/c I'm from California?

[jacksmomtobe]

:yeahthat: I have plenty of snow, but I have no idea what you're talking about.

Same...never heard of it.

[indigo99]

There is a lot of conflicting info (as with most things) if you try to look up the safety of eating snow. Apparently there aren't really any real reports of it causing any harm though. Some studies have found that it contains bacteria, but so does most food that we eat. Our stomachs take care of it. A snowflake starts out with a piece of dust. Again, there's dust on everything, and it isn't much of a problem. It's not like we're eating a gallon a day, and I think it's fun.

It's cleanest if you put out a bowl while it is snowing. My rule is to collect it ASAP after falling and not more than 6-8 hours after the snow stops falling. I never take the bottom layer of snow, and I'll avoid the top layer as well if it's been more than an hour or two since it fell because the wind deposits a layer of dust/dirt on it.

I used the recipe pp posted above but didn't measure the snow or milk. I mixed the vanilla into the milk so it would be spread out more evenly, and I added the milk very slowly, turning it all over in the bowl as I went. The easiest mistake is adding too much milk and getting snow soup.

[essnce629]

Uhh, I have NO IDEA what you're talking about! (CA native here!)

[klwa]

We always do snow cream when the snow is good for it. (Couldn't with this last storm very well because of the amount of sleet that fell with the snow. Just makes it icy & not as good.) We don't use a real recipe, just pour milk in a mixing bowl & add sugar & vanilla (or even better lemon or orange extract!) to taste, then add the snow in until we get it to an ice cream type consistancy. Yummy!

[TwinFoxes]

I wouldn't have a problem with it from a cleanliness aspect. My daughters regularly eat snow off of my car, the ground, wherever. At least this way I could pick clean snow for them. Maybe I'll try it next time we get a nice snow.

BTW, someone posted this Snow Margarita recipe on FB yesterday. Why should the kids have all of the fun? ;)

http://mamadweeb.com/2014/01/how-to-make-snow-margaritas/

[Mikey0709]

I don't know.... A handful or taste here and there ok, but a bowl of it we'll pass on. Can't get over the fact that a snowflake starts with a piece of dust, and filters the pollution out if the air as it falls. We'll catch them on our tongue but I'm not gonna be using it in receipes! We have enough bacteria and acid in our lives already.

[kdeunc]

I made it for the first time for my kids during our last snow. In the eastern part of NC it is pretty rare that we get much snow, especially snow that isn't mixed with sleet. They loved it. I had it growing up in the central/western part of NC where we got more snow. I have no fear of germs! ;)

[o_mom]

We have done it once. It was this year with our huge snowfall. It is in my "23 days of winter vacation is way too long" bag of tricks. ;) I also happened to have leftover whipping cream which is rare and that made some awesome snow cream.

I don't see it being a frequent occurrence here, but it was fun (and tasty!). :)

[WatchingThemGrow]

absolutely, snowcream!!!! We may go dig some out from under a layer of ice. Like the idea of evap or condensed milk. I'll try that!

[sidmand]

:yeahthat: I have plenty of snow, but I have no idea what you're talking about.

Me either, and I've lived in New England, where we get PLENTY of snow, almost my whole life!!

[LBW]

I've never made snowcream, but we do usually make snow candy w/maple syrup. I don't actually heat it up like this blogger describes, but maybe I'll try that next time. I'm lazy and just pour the syrup on the snow straight out of the bottle. No one complains!

http://www.thekitchn.com/snow-day-treat-how-to-make-map-106130

[nfowife]

Just made snowcream using the posted recipe with half and half instead of milk and it's great! Tastes just like vanilla ice cream but with the texture of a shaved ice... kids are gobbling it up!

[MommyAllison]

I had never heard of it until a couple years ago, despite growing up in a snowy climate. I've made it for my kids once or twice, and since then I always forget to set a bowl out when we have the right snow for it. I follow this recipe: http://pleasegivepeasachance.blogspot.com/2010/02/vanilla-bean-snowcream.html and as she suggests, I waited until it had been snowing heavily for a few hours before setting a bowl out.

[ang79]

absolutely, snowcream!!!! We may go dig some out from under a layer of ice. Like the idea of evap or condensed milk. I'll try that!

I can't believe I didn't think of making it yesterday with our foot of snow! Not sure if it would be good to use now (if I dug out from the middle where things are untouched in the yard), as it rained on top of the snow and made it very wet and heavy......

[ang79]

I've never made snowcream, but we do usually make snow candy w/maple syrup. I don't actually heat it up like this blogger describes, but maybe I'll try that next time. I'm lazy and just pour the syrup on the snow straight out of the bottle. No one complains!

http://www.thekitchn.com/snow-day-treat-how-to-make-map-106130

We made this as kids. I remember getting the recipe out of a Little House on the Prairie recipe book I borrowed from a friend :)

[AnnieW625]

Not to this extent, but when I was pretty little my mom used to give us snow cones from the snow in Lake Tahoe especially when we were on a break from a day of cross country skiing and then my brother got giardia so we stopped.

[indigo99]

Not to this extent, but when I was pretty little my mom used to give us snow cones from the snow in Lake Tahoe especially when we were on a break from a day of cross country skiing and then my brother got giardia so we stopped.

Giardia usually comes from fecal matter (animal or even a non-symptomatic person) so there isn't much chance of that if you use fresh snow and don't take the bottom layer that's in contact with the dirt. Kids who play outside and then eat without washing their hands are more at risk than someone eating newly fallen snow.

[elephantmeg]

I made some yesterday. The kids ate it with bread pudding! We're va so this is only the 3rd time I've made it/we've had enough snow to make it

[karstmama]

not only do we eat snowcream but we put raw eggs in it. living on the edge!

[belovedgandp]

When there's snow we do! I remember from when I was growing up. We are year to year on having snowstorms enough to really make it.

When it is snowing I put out several clean bowls on the deck. Once they are full, I'll put a towel over the top and put them up on a table on the north side of our house. Depending on how long it stays cold we'll make batches over the next two or three days from these bowls. After a while it starts to freeze/thaw so much that the consistency gets weird and really after three days in a row even my kids are sick of it.