Strawberry Ice Cream

U pick—apples, peaches, nectarines, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries—u name it, I’ve been there. My mother would take us each summer to pick our own fruit, which she would then put up in our basement freezer or make into jams to last the year. These days going fruit picking has been turned into a fun activity and it can be even more expensive than just buying the stuff already picked, but back then we did it because it was cheap and very, very fresh. And we had fun too (though strawberries are the least fun in my opinion since they grow so close to the ground, ouch crouch!).

I did not pick the strawberries in this ice cream (they came in our weekly farm share), but I did make up the recipe, and it is really good, if I do say so myself! Hope you enjoy!

Strawberry Ice Cream

• 3/4 lb fresh strawberries, hulled
• 1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp brandy
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 egg yolks

special equipment: ice cream maker

1. Prepare the strawberries: In a food processor, combine the strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and brandy. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Make the custard: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, a pinch of salt, 2/3 cup sugar, and the vanilla. Heat over medium until hot but not boiling. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and gradually add a few tablespoons of the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan, whisking constantly to combine.
3. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring with a spoon, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour through a mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
4. In your ice cream maker, freeze the custard according to manufacturer instructions. In the last minute pour in the strawberry mixture and allow everything to churn in the ice cream maker for about 5 more minutes. Pour the ice cream (it will be gloppy) into a container, cover, and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Before serving, take the ice cream out of the freezer for about 20 minutes to soften.