Combine cream, milk, sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a heavy saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla beans with tip of a knife into cream mixture, then drop in pods. Heat mixture just to a boil.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170 degrees F (do not let boil).
Pour custard through a fine sieve into a clean metal bowl, then cool, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.
Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
Yield: 1 1/2 quarts
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