Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question. I just got a new ice cream maker. When it says to add rock salt around the canister does that mean the same rock salt that I put on ice and snow in the winter? I do know that Morton sells an ice cream salt, but no one around here carries it. Morton is labeled as inedible. I was hoping to make ice cream for Thanksgiving.

HI!
No not the same stuff.
Go to your grocery store and in the canning and spice isle there is morton rock salt. Layer it with the ice and it makes everyting much colder so the ice cream sets faster. Do not use the ice melt variety as it has chemicals in it.

Thank you.

and then there are those of us who just use regular salt -- liberally applied

I just use the salt that I use on the driveway - it isn't going IN the ice cream, it is just to melt the ice to help freeze it. That is a marketing ploy to charge 5x what salt should cost IMO. I have been doing this my whole life (and we eat a lot of homemade ice cream here!)

Regular salt, rock salt...Any tips, tricks, would be greatly appreciated. I am completely new to this. I made my first batch of ice cream. It didn't turn out great, but it was good. My kids enjoyed it. I think I will be making more sorbet than ice cream. The heavy whipping cream is really expensive.

I have an electric 1 gallon ice cream freezer. I put about 3" of ice (small cubes or crushed) and then about 1/3 - 1/2 cup rock salt - keep layering that until the tub is full. (that is WITH the ice cream container already in there first!) Just keep adding the layers as the ice melts. It should take about 20 minutes for it to get to the point where it bogs the motor - then unplug it, take the dasher out, stick a cork in the hole in the lid, and layer newspapers and heavy towels on it to let it ripen.

It isn't cheap to make, that is for sure, but man is it good!

You also can use the salt/ice mixture to cool down champagne bottles in a hurry. Just add a little bit of water to make the mixture a little loose, put the bottle in and 10-15 minutes later it is perfect. 5-7 minutes for bottles of white wine and 2-3 for reds.