“Number two is goat’s milk,” said Caitlin Ostberg, youth services manager at Cumberland County Headquarters Library.
The children in the room all squealed.
They had just taste-tested four different types of ice cream as part of a demonstration to show that ice cream can be made out of more than cow’s milk. Option 1 was made with cashew milk, option 3—cookies and cream—was made with cow’s milk, and option 4 was made with coconut milk. Option 2, goat’s milk, was not a fan favorite.
But the children were not at the library just to taste ice cream. They were there to learn how to make their own. The “DIY Ice Cream!” event on Wednesday in Fayetteville was part of April’s North Carolina Science Festival, which featured 676 science events across the state.
“Being able to do this at the library, it allows us to let kids see the fun side of science and also to apply it to their daily lives as another form of literacy,” Ostberg said. “Parents like that their kids get exposed to other ideas, and the kids learn that science and STEM activities are really fun.”
Ostberg and and youth services associate Jared White walked children (with the help of their parents) through the full recipe and process of making their own ice cream:
1. Milk
2. Vanilla
3. Sugar
4. Place sealed ziploc bag into a bigger bag of salt and ice. “It helps make the ice cream colder, faster,” Ostberg said of adding salt to the ice pack.
5. Shake for about five minutes. “It’ll be like a milkshake,” said White regarding the consistency of the ice cream when ready.
6. Taste time!
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