My husband used to think he didn’t like strawberry ice cream, and come to find out it’s because he’d never had “real” strawberry ice cream before…only the bright pink stuff out of a box. But once I made him the real deal his mind was forever changed, and I promise you’ll be “won over” by this recipe as well. It’s honestly hard to beat the taste and consistency of fresh homemade ice cream no matter what flavor you make it. And with the high tech ice cream makers these days it’s fairly easy to make it at home yourself, and it doesn’t take long either … no cranks, ice or salt necessary. :) We have a Cuisinart ice cream maker and love it.
What do you plan to make with your fresh strawberries this season? Please feel free to share strawberry recipes/links in the comments below.
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, organic recommended
- 3/4 cup milk, organic recommended
- 2 - 2 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup, depending on how sweet you like it...start with 2 and only add more if necessary
- 14 strawberries, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the cream, milk and maple syrup in a large glass measuring cup (with a pour spout).
Remove the stems/leaves from the strawberries and crush them. I used our mini-chopper to mash them up and it worked great. A simple potato masher might do the trick as well.
If you have a Cuisinart ice cream maker like us just turn on the machine and pour in both the cream/syrup mixture and the crushed strawberries. After about 15 - 20 minutes the ice cream will look really "thick" and ready when it's done. If you are using a different machine be sure to follow manufacturer directions for making your ice cream.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Most ice cream recipes call for a 2 to 1 ratio of cream to milk, and that might be why you’re not finding this recipe to be “creamy”. Try tweaking the ratio & see if that helps. I make homemade ice cream almost daily in the summer, and I use more milk for lower fat options & more cream for a treat.
Adding xanthan gum [not much, maybe 1/2 tsp] makes it creamy [good for low fat soups, too] and no need for heavy cream…
I made this using the cuisinart and put it in the freezer when it was done. It is hard as a rock! You can’t even get a spoon into it. Is this normal?
I usually have to let it soften a bit though rarely have enough left over to freeze. :)
I had the same exact experience. It’s not about it being too frozen and needing to thaw, it’s that it’s now practically just ice. So even when it does thaw, it’s still crunchy like ice. I followed the recipe exactly. Bummed. :(
Do you know if this can be made in a Blendtec?
We’ve not tried that. This might help: http://www.blendtec.com/blog/9-ice-cream-recipes-make-in-blendtec/.