Summertime and strawberry season happen to coincide together perfectly. From June to August, you’ll be able to get ripe juicy strawberries at your local market. You can enjoy them on their own, topped with sugar, or covered in fresh cream. Or if you want a special treat, you can use them for homemade ice cream! There’s nothing better than strawberry ice cream made fresh using wholesome ingredients that you put together yourself. You don’t have to be a trained chef to put together this great strawberry ice cream recipe that your family will love.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own strawberry ice cream:
- 3 cups of fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 3 egg yolks
- optional: 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Your first step will be to get perfect strawberries for this recipe. It’s worth it if you have to go a bit out of your way to get something fresh and the local. And since you’ll be making a purée out of your strawberries, you don’t have to pay attention to what they look like or how firm they are. It’s okay if you get a few strawberries that are extra ripe, because it’s all blended together anyways. Riper strawberries are generally sweeter, which is a real bonus because you can cut down on the amount of sugar you use.
2. Take your strawberries and give them a few blasts with your blender. You want to make a smooth puree, but the overall consistency is up to you. If you want bigger chunks of strawberries, you can save a few pieces that you add to your ice cream at the end.
3. Heat your cream over medium heat in a sauce pan, until you get a slight simmer. Keep it at this level without allowing it to go to a full boil.
4. Whisk together your sugar and egg yolks. If you want a deep richer flavor, you can choose to add vanilla extract at this point. Some people enjoy the combination of vanilla with strawberries, so give it a shot if you want a special twist on this recipe.
5. Carefully pour your heated cream into your egg and sugar mixture, while constantly whisking to ensure even blending.
6. Now that you have everything in the same saucepan, return it to the heat and let cook until it thickens. You’ll be able to tell when it’s done when it can coat your spatula without being runny.
7. Allow the custard to cool to room temperature, and then mix in your strawberry purée. Put the overall mixture into your refrigerator to cool for about an hour.
8. Pour your custard into an ice cream maker and let it to the rest. There are lots of great products that you can use, but going with a frozen bowl automated model is the best idea. Let the machine mixture custard for about 25-30 minutes, and voila! Tasty ice cream made with fresh summer strawberries!
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