On Food and Cooking

Freezing    Ice Cream

with    Flying  Fortresses  and Liquid

Nitrogen

On March 13, 1943, the New York Times
reported that American fliers stationed in
Britain had discovered an ingenious way of
making ice cream while on duty. A story
titled “Flying Fortresses Double as Ice-
Cream Freezers” disclosed that the airmen
“place prepared ice-cream mixture in a
large can and anchor it to the rear gunner’s
compartment of a Flying Fortress. It is
well shaken up and nicely frozen by flying
over enemy territory at high altitudes.”
These days, a popular, spectacular, and
effective method among chemistry
teachers is to freeze the mix in an open
bowl with a gallon or two/8–10 liters of
liquid nitrogen, whose boiling point is–
320ºF/–196ºC. When the liquid nitrogen is
stirred in, it boils, bubbles, and chills the
mix almost instantly throughout, a