From What's Growin' On? California's Colorful Bounty

Materials:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Procedure:

• Put all ingredients in a 1-pound coffee can with a tight-fitting plastic lid. Place the lid on the can. Secure with duct tape. Place the can with the ingredients inside a 3-pound coffee can that has a tightfitting plastic lid.
• Fill the space between the cans with crushed ice. Pour at least 1/2 cup of rock salt over the ice. Place the lid on the larger can. Roll back and forth on a table or cement slab for 10 minutes. Open the outer can. Remove the inner can, wipe it off, and then remove the tape and lid. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture. If not yet solid, repack the smaller can in the larger container and fill with ice and 1/2 cup salt. Roll back and forth for five more minutes. Serve immediately. Makes about three cups.

Think About It!

• If you put the ingredients in a container and freeze them without mixing, what would happen?
• Why is churning or mixing needed to make ice cream?
• Why is salt put in with the ice?

From the Dried Plum Commodity Fact/Activity Sheet

Materials:

• 1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) pitted dried plums
• 6 tablespoons hot water
• blender or food processor
• packages brownie mix (with required ingredients)

Procedure:

• Make a dried plums puree by pureeing 1 1/3 cups of pitteed dried plums and six tablespoons of hot water in a food processor or blender. This should make one cup of dried plum puree. Use 1/4 cup of this puree in place of 1/2 cup butter or oil.

From the Strawberry Commodity Fact/Activity Sheet

Materials:

• 1 1/2 cup Strawberries
• 1 1/2 teaspoonlight corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• jelly roll pan
• blender or food processor
• plastic wrap

Procedure:

• Place 1 1/2 cups of clean strawberries in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup. Line a jelly roll pan with heavy-duty plastic wrap, taping the plastic wrap to the corners of the pan with masking tape. Pour the strawberry mixture into the pan, spreading evenly. Leave at least a one-inch margin on each side. Dry in an oven at 150 degrees for 7 to 8 hours or until the surface is dry and no longer sticky. Remove the leather and plastic wrap from the pan while still warm (hands must be clean and dry) and roll up in a jelly roll fashion. Cut into logs and store in plastic wrap for a maximum of 5 days.