Homemade fresh strawberry ice cream is the perfect refreshing dessert for warm summer days. It bursts with seasonal berry flavour and is surprisingly easy to make.
We all know how good strawberries and cream are together, so what could be better than a scoop or two of homemade fresh strawberry ice cream!
Ice cream is perfect for those hot summer days. Although I will happily consume ice cream any day of the year, come rain, shine, sleet or snow I love it.
Any leftovers can be kept in the freezer for another day - though of course when homemade ice cream tastes as good as this it won't hang around for long!
Ingredients for homemade strawberry ice cream
Strawberry ice cream is really easy to make with a handful of everyday ingredients. We're just talking eggs, milk, cream, sugar and of course strawberries! There's no fancy unpronounceable ingredients, or those referenced with an E-number, in homemade ice cream.
Scroll down for quantities and full printable recipe at the bottom of this post.
Milk – Full fat milk is best for ice cream.
Eggs – medium or large are used in the recipe. I use free-range.
Caster sugar – I use golden caster sugar for most of my baking. It’s the same as normal caster sugar, but it’s unrefined, and is a little more flavoursome with light caramel tones.
Vanilla Extract
Lemon juice
Fresh strawberries – I may be biased but I think English Strawberries taste the best. Our (generally) cooler climate allows the fruit to grow slower and thus sweeter than imported strawberries from hotter countries.
You can read a little about the long history of the English strawberry on this site from English heritage.
No churn vs churned ice cream
While there is no getting away from it no churn ice creams are super easy to make, and they are often made with condensed milk. I find that can be a little too sweet and cloying for some flavours and you get a much better result making the ice cream the traditional way.
Strawberries have quite a delicate flavour and to bring that out in the ice cream the traditional method is best. I have made no churn strawberry ice cream with condensed milk but I was just not happy with the flavour.
Traditional ice creams are made with a custard base thickened with eggs and whipped cream, to which a flavouring is added. In this case strawberry purée. They usually need churning to break up the ice crystals as they form.
If you are lucky enough to have an ice cream maker then the "hard" work is done for you. I use that term loosely making ice cream without one is not really hard work just a little more time consuming.
The good news is you can still make this delicious fresh strawberry ice cream without a machine. But do allow plenty of time. You will need to take the ice cream out of the freezer every hour or so and break up the ice crystals manually with a fork or a whisk.
There are two types of ice cream makers
- Freezer assisted ice cream makers – The bowl is kept in the freezer or placed in the freezer several hours before required. Relatively inexpensive but you will need enough space in the freezer to store the bowl.
- Free standing ice cream machines – With these machines there is no need for the length pre-freezing as they have their own compressor to chill the ice cream as it churns. But they are expensive and bulky.
Cook's Tips
Whether you are using an ice cream maker or freezing it in the freezer. To get the best results make sure that you chill the mixture before churning/freezing.
If not using an ice cream maker. Freeze in a shallow container to help speed up the freezing process. Metal containers such as a loaf tin or roasting tin will conduct the cold faster and also help to speed up the time it takes to freeze.
Transfer to a deeper container with a tight-fitting lid if not serving straight away.
So, here's how to make Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream
Step 1 Heat the milk and cream until almost boiling. Whisk the eggs and sugar together.
Step 2 Gradually whisk the hot milk, whisking all the time into the egg and sugar mixture.
Step 3 Return the mixture to the pan and cook gently stirring constantly.
Step 4 Cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Cool and then chill.
Step 5 Mix the strawberries and sugar togethether. Allow to stand before puréeing and adding lemon juice.
Step 6 Combine the strawberry purée and custard. Then pour into and ice cream maker and churn until softly frozen.
TIP: Strawberry ice cream is best when you blitz the strawberries really smooth.
Step 7 Once the ice cream is almost frozen transfer to a deep freezer-proof container and transfer to the freezer to freeze completely.
If you don't have an ice cream maker pour into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for an hour. Remove from the freezer and beat with electric beaters or break up the ice crystals with a fork. Repeat this hourly freezing and beating process for three or four hours.
To serve
Remove the ice cream from the freezer and place in the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to allow it to soften sufficiently to scoop.
Of course strawberry ice cream is delicious served on its own, but it is also delicious served with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, such as one I made to go with my salted caramel pie with chocolate sauce.
It can also make a delicious accompaniment to other desserts. Try a scoop with my strawberry and basil upside down cake Or use it to make a spectacular strawberry baked Alaska.
How long will homemade ice cream keep?
All homemade ice creams are best eaten as fresh as possible as they do not contain the preservatives or stabilisers that commercially made ice cream have.
For the best flavour consume within two weeks and do not store longer than 2 months.
If you are not serving straight away transfer to a freezer container that is the correct size for the volume of ice cream you have and has a tight-fitting lid.
If your ice cream does not fill the container because you don't have the correct size or because you have already consumed some, cover the surface of the ice cream with cling wrap or press down some baking parchment onto the surface to exclude air and prevent ice crystals forming on the surface.
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Equipment
- saucepan
- bowl
- balloon whisk
- wooden spoon
- baking parchment
- Goblet or hand held stick blender
- spatula
- freezer proof container
- Ice cream maker (optional)
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- 300 ml (½pt) double cream
- 300 ml (½pt)whole milk
- 175 g (6oz) caster sugar
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 350 g (12oz)strawberries
- 2 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat 300ml (½ pt) milk and 300ml (½ pt) cream together in a heavy based saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Meanwhile, place 5 egg yolks and 175g(6oz) sugar into mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture whisking all of the time, then pour the mixture back into the pan.
- Place the pan on a very low heat cook the custard gently stirring constantly until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. The custard is ready when you can trace a line on the back of the spoon with your finger.
- Remove from the heat. Add 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla and mix in well. Pour the custard into a bowl. Cover with a sheet of dampened parchment paper Set aside to cool then chill well in the fridge.
- Wash and hull the strawberries and slice. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons caster sugar. And mix well. Allow to stand for about 15 - 20 minutes.
- Purée the strawberries in a liquidiser or with a stick blender. Stir in the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Remove the custard from the fridge and stir the strawberry mixture onto the custard.
- Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker following manufacturers' instructions. Then tip the ice cream into a plastic freezer-proof container and freeze the ice cream for about 2 -3 hours to firm up. If you don't have an ice cream maker pour into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for an hour. Remove from the freezer and beat with electric whisk or a fork to break down the ice crystals. Repeat this hourly freezing and beating process for three or four hours.
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