To make ice cream at home, a simple and classic way involves mixing whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, then chilling and churning the mixture. Here is a straightforward recipe: Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• ½ cup granulated sugar (or maple syrup as a substitute)
• 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. If using a vanilla bean, split it and scrape out the seeds.
2. In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, and salt.
3. Heat the mixture gently over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, but do not boil.
4. Remove from heat and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours; longer chilling improves flavor.
5. Remove vanilla pods, then churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
6. Serve immediately for soft ice cream or freeze further for 2+ hours for a firmer texture.

Alternative methods include no-machine recipes using whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk mixed and frozen, or methods involving shaking the mixture in ice and salt-filled bags to freeze without a machine. This method yields rich, creamy ice cream and can be customized with different flavors or mix-ins. This recipe and tips come from multiple expert sources on homemade ice cream preparation.