I know, this isn’t a wine post as you’ve come to expect. Because I’ve been on a roll with ice cream recipes, I thought this last recipe would be fun to share instead of my usual wine post. 😊
As promised, here is the Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream recipe. It’s just as easy and just as good as the vanilla and chocolate ice creams I’d previously shared. One thing I’ve not mentioned is how inexpensive these are compared to the store-bought varieties. They are happily half the cost as opposed to store-bought, and they are just as yummy, if not better.
I do realize this Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream recipe, along with the other recipes, does take an ice cream maker and containers, but each can be re-used over and over again making them more than worth the purchase price.
Simple Foolproof
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients: Makes approximately 2 quarts
- 1 cup fresh small diced strawberries
- ¾ cup fresh pureed strawberries
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups Karo syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons 150 to 151 proof grain alcohol (or 3 ½ tablespoons neutral unflavored Vodka)
Directions:
Make sure your ice cream maker bowl is frozen hard before you start. (Note: I find that refrigerating/freezing the ice cream churner blade is helpful too.)
Make ⅔ cup of strawberry purée by placing 1 cup of diced strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the milk, syrup, strawberry puree and salt until all the ingredients are incorporated. Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla, and liquor until combined. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
When you’re ready to make your ice cream, take the ice cream mixture out of the fridge. The ingredients may have settled so whisk it a bit to ensure all the ingredients are blended. Take the frozen ice cream maker bowl out of the freezer along with the churn blade and position it in the machine. Turn the ice cream maker on; while it’s turning, slowly pour the mixture into the ice cream maker. Continue to churn the mixture for about 25 to 30 minutes until the ice cream has thickened. Add the diced strawberries and continue to mix until the strawberries are mixed throughout the ice cream, about 1 minute. The ice cream will hold its shape with a soft, creamy texture.
To give the homemade strawberry ice cream a firmer consistency, transfer it into two airtight quart/freezer storage containers, label, date and place them in the freezer for at least 2 hours or up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve it, remove the ice cream from the freezer for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Scoop out some of the homemade strawberry ice cream in a fun ice cream dish. If you like, add my chocolate dessert sauces for a special treat.
Variations: The same quantity of various berries or stone fruit of choice; such as peaches, blackberries or blueberries in place of the strawberries will work nicely. Experiment a bit and have fun with it.
Add-ins – With any add-ins add 1 cup or so at about the 23 to 25-minute mark or stir them in when the ice cream has churned to the right consistency. Remember, the idea is to add these into the ice cream, not freeze them. Adding it sooner than that, or at the beginning, will cause the add-ins to collect at the bottom in a hard clump. Yuck.
- Chopped or mini chocolate chips are fun
- For a chocolate or caramel swirl effect, add a ½ cup or so of chocolate or caramel syrup in a slow stream at the very end.
Notes: If you prefer your ice cream to have a brighter pink color, add a tiny drop of red food coloring to the mixture before churning. I usually opt not to. As I’ve mentioned before, why do I use Karo syrup and alcohol? Unless you’re planning to eat all the ice cream when it’s ready, it makes all the difference when you freeze it. The syrup and alcohol will ensure your ice cream has that beautiful creamy texture after it’s been frozen a while. If you’re worried about tasting the alcohol, don’t, you won’t even know it’s there. Without it, you will have that unpleasant solid icy consistency of which so many are so familiar. The type of grain alcohol I use in this recipe is Everclear 151 Grain Alcohol, easily found at most purveyors of alcoholic beverages. If you can’t find it, 3 ½ tablespoons of a good quality neutral unflavored vodka will do just fine. I use so little that it’s a good thing it doesn’t go bad because the bottle I use has been around a very long time. 😀 One last thing, good freezer storage containers help to preserve your ice cream. I love my Tovolo Sweet Treats Tubs. They are inexpensive, reusable and perfect for ice cream.
Tips: I had a few questions. Here are some answers. 🙂
- Why would I not use simple syrup in place of Karo syrup? The answer is simple, it has way too much water and is not as viscous as Karo syrup. Simple syrup will cause a goodly amount of crystallization, not the creamy texture we so desire.
- When your ice cream is churning, place a small plate over the hole to keep the cold from escaping.
Now that I’ve made this Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, along with my two other flavors of homemade ice cream, I’ll have to think about an ice cream social for my friends and guests. Doesn’t that sound like fun? In the meantime, I think I’ll put a scoop of each flavor of ice cream in a fun ice cream dish I just bought for myself and indulge.
Time to eat…
If you enjoyed my “Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream,” check out my Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream, or my Three Dessert Sauces. Enjoy.
P.S. Take a moment to check out or purchase some of the tools I used for this “Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream” below. 🙂