Question about consistency of homemade ice cream
It may freeze hard, that depends upon the sugar and salt content and any other ingredients, like alcohol, that don't freeze solidly. If it does freeze hard it should be like store-bought ice cream, not icy. Ice cream that seems like softserve before it goes into the freezer should not crystallize. If it does, that usually means that it wasn't packed properly. Be sure that you pack the ice cream in an airtight container, with as little air as possible in the container, and that it isn't allowed to melt before packing.