To me, the home made, if made properly, tastes like ice cream should taste. Fresh cream, milk, pure vanilla extract, sugar, and eggs. Eggs, the yolks only, are used for 'French style ice cream' wherein the egg yolks and some milk/cream are heated to at least 160F or a bit higher and kept there for several minutes. This forms a sort of custard and also kills any salmonella bacteria.
This 'cooked' mixture is then cooled and frozen. Man! Talk about smooth and delicious! Also no air pumped in as in commercial ice cream which is almost always 50% or more air and with preservatives so it will keep longer in the store freezer. BTW, if you doubt the air content, the next time you're at the market pick up equal capacity packages of 'house brand' ice cream and one of the premiums like Ben and Jerry's. The B&J will weigh much more than the house brand because of less air. Some cheap US ice creams are much higher than 50% air content.
I make some plain vanilla and also many variations with almonds, cashews, walnuts, strawberries, honey or pure maple syrup instead of sugar, chocolate, and so on. I haven't made a bad batch yet. Some are a bit unusual but all are tasty---and pure. One of my personal favorites is French style with chocolate and peanut butter. I have to discipline myself to eat my product sparingly so I won't blow up like a balloon. At age 75 and no longer exercising as hard as I used to, I can gain weight quick so I watch the calories like a hawk. However, my reduced calorie intake is strictly gourmet quality and really pure ice cream with no crap added is a definite plus in my book. If you could buy something like my home-made in the store it would cost you probably $20 per quart or more.
Another treat is 'Philadelphia style' ice cream which doesn't use eggs and hence no cooking. One type I love in this style is five or six bananas pureed in the food processor along with one cup of heavy cream, a half cup of honey, a bit of lemon juice and vanilla, and whatever else strikes your fancy. This is good stuff, moderate in calories, simple to make, healthy, and really good.
