Custard-free, easy strawberry ice cream. Nothing could be simpler or better, and that's what this post is all about. Back in June 2010, I found a recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream that required making an egg custard. As I was a newby to ice cream making at the time, I thought there had to be a custard to be truly good authentic ice cream, and I did thoroughly enjoy eating it. If there are fresh strawberries in it, how could anything be bad?
Fast forward eight years, through many, many ice cream recipes and formulas, and low and behold I came upon Serious Eats on the internet. This is by far the easiest, creamiest and most flavorful ice cream recipe I've found and I've made quarts and quarts of it this strawberry season. There are no challenges here just great rewards.
Easy Strawberry Ice Cream
(5 cups)
30 ounces (1 quart plus a little extra) fresh strawberries, divided (see note above)
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
4 tablespoons 80-proof liquor such as vodka or, preferably, Cointreau
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
Scant drops of lemon juice, if needed
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- Hull and quarter 6 ounces (about 1 cup) strawberries, then slice quarters crosswise into very thin pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, combine strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar and alcohol and let stand in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Hull remaining strawberries and purée at high speed in a blender until very smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer to filter out all seeds and fibers, then measure and reserve 1 1/2 cups purée. Extra purée, if there is any, can be put to another use.
- In a clean mixing bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups strawberry purée with half and half, corn syrup, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until fully combined.
- Add salt to taste, and, if mixture is too sweet, a few drops of lemon juice.
- Chill in refrigerator or ice bath until base is very cold, at least 45°F, then churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
- In the last minute of churning, retrieve strawberry mix-ins from the refrigerator, STIR well, strain off syrup, and add mix-ins to the churn; reserve strawberry syrup for another use (it makes a great daiquiri).
- Transfer ice cream to airtight container and chill in freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
See, I tell the truth ... a recent breakfast, Strawberry Lime Crostata with this heavenly strawberry ice cream.
When peaches come in to season this August, I'm substituting peaches for strawberries in this recipe in the hopes that the results will be as delicious and flavor-packed as these have been.
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