Things We Love: WEBstaurant Ice Cream Containers (And Pumpkin Ice Cream)


Desserts, Ice Cream / Friday, July 22nd, 2011

If you’re slightly obsessed with making ice cream, like I am, you need these 32-ounce Newspring Deli Containers from The WEBstaurant Store in your life.

I’d been storing ice cream in every container I could find in my cabinets, and it was turning my freezer into a hot (cold?) mess. So, I started shopping for real ice cream containers. But they are pricey! I can’t spend more money on containers than I spent on my ice cream maker. Come on. That’s crazy talk.

I went to The WEBstaurant Store’s Facebook page to ask if they had something that might work, and a few minutes later, Steve answered back and sent me the links for these containers and their matching lids.

Score!

These reusable containers are 100% BPA-free, and they hold about a quart of ice cream, which is what most machines make. I love being able to stack them, and since they’re clear, I can see exactly what’s in them and grab the flavor I want instead of hunting through every container. (I also love being able to label them with a Sharpie, which washes right off, so I can do it again and again. Woohoo!)

They’re also great for hitting the road with things like pasta salad and banana pudding, as well as storing soups and marinara without taking up a ton of space.

Of course, you could always use them all to store 24 flavors of ice cream and live the dream, Baby. (Just don’t forget to order the matching lids.)

P.S. I haven’t made 24 flavors, but having the extra containers around definitely makes it a possibility. Without them, I wouldn’t have had room for this Pumpkin Ice Cream – a melt-in-your-mouth, dreamy, creamy concoction with all the flavor of a spicy pumpkin pie filling – and that would have been a tragedy, because this stuff is like having the Great Pumpkin finally appear, and then you get to EAT him.

Note: I bought my containers and lids with a $25 coupon from The WEBstaurant Store, plus a few dollars from my own pocket. We didn’t have a deal for me to mention them. When I find a good deal, I like to share it. 

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Adapted from Saveur

Makes 1 quart

  • 2/3 cup puréed cooked pumpkin (canned or fresh)
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. If Using Fresh Pumpkin: Cut 1 small pie pumpkin into large chunks, and remove strings and seeds. Steam pumpkin on a steaming rack in a large pot over boiling water until pulp is soft, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly and scrape pulp from skin. Set pulp aside.
  2. Heat 1 1/3 cups of the cream in the top of a double boiler above gently boiling water over medium-high heat.
  3. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, corn syrup, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a metal mixing bowl.
  4. Gradually pour 1/4 cup of hot cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then whisk egg mixture into remaining cream in top of double boiler. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture is thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 15 minutes.
  5. Pour custard through a sieve set over a clean bowl.
  6. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and remaining 2/3 cup of cream, and whisk until blended.
  7. Refrigerate custard until cold, about 4 hours. Transfer custard to an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s directions.

[ad name=”space”]