Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
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- 16 ounces strawberries – hulled and roughly chopped (~40 medium strawberries)
- 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 cups whole milk
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Combine the strawberries with 0.25 cup granulated sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl. Mash lightly with a fork and let macerate until juicy, 15–30 minutes, then puree until smooth; chill the puree.
2. Whisk the egg yolks with 0.75 cup granulated sugar and the salt in a medium bowl until thick and pale, 1–2 minutes.
3. Heat the whole milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming with small bubbles at the edge, 3–5 minutes. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the yolk mixture to temper.
4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the custard thickens to coat the back of the spatula and reaches 175–180°F, 5–8 minutes. Do not boil.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Stir the cold strawberry puree into the chilled custard base. Churn in an ice cream maker until soft-serve consistency forms, 20–25 minutes, or as your machine directs.
7. Transfer to a freezer container, press parchment or plastic wrap against the surface, and freeze until firm enough to scoop, 4–6 hours. Scoop and serve.
Strawberry Ice Cream pairs lush dairy richness with bright, ripe berry flavor. The result is creamy, scoopable, and perfumed with vanilla, with a natural pink hue and small strawberry seeds unless strained. It’s refreshing yet decadent, balancing sweetness with a gentle tang from the fruit and a touch of lemon.
Ice cream has deep global roots, but fruit-flavored ice creams became especially beloved in American and European traditions as freezing technology spread in the 18th and 19th centuries. Strawberry, in particular, became a warm-weather favorite and appeared at notable events, famously associated with early American state entertaining. Today it remains a timeless parlor staple and a home-cook classic that showcases peak-season berries.