Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

Name: Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ pounds (680 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into ½-inch (1.5 cm) pieces; ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream, cold; 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt; 5 yolks (93 g) large egg yolks, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A rich custard-style ice cream loaded with macerated fresh strawberries. Roasting-free and simple, it delivers bright berry flavor, a creamy scoopable texture, and a lovely natural pink color.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 10 hr
Total: 10 hr 50 min
Makes: About 1 quart (1 liter), 8 servings of ½ cup

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Steps

Before you start

Freeze the ice cream maker bowl for at least 24 hours (or follow your machine's instructions).
Plan ahead: the custard needs to chill at least 4 hours or overnight, and the churned ice cream needs 4 hours to firm up.
Set up an ice bath (large bowl with ice and water) before you start the custard.
Use ripe, fragrant, in-season strawberries for the best flavor.

1
Macerate the strawberries
- In a medium bowl, toss the chopped strawberries with ⅓ cup (67 g) sugar and the lemon juice.
- Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring once, until the berries release plenty of bright red juice.
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Ready when: Berries sit in a pool of syrupy red juice
Tip: Do this while you make the custard to save time.
2
Mash the berries
- Mash about half of the berries with a potato masher or fork, leaving the rest in small chunks.
- Cover and refrigerate until the custard is ready to mix in.
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Ready when: A chunky, jammy mixture with visible pieces
Tip: Leave chunks; fully puréed berries freeze icier and lose texture.
3
Set up ice bath
- Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.
- Set a medium heatproof bowl inside it and place a fine-mesh strainer over the medium bowl.
- Pour the cold cream into the bowl through the strainer area (leave it in the strainer-topped bowl for now).
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Tip: Having the ice bath ready lets you stop the cooking immediately.
4
Heat the milk
- In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the milk, ½ cup (100 g) sugar, and the salt.
- Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming and the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
- Do not let it boil.
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Ready when: Small bubbles form at the edges and steam rises; mixture feels hot but not boiling (about 170°F / 77°C)
5
Temper the yolks
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth.
- While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture.
- Then pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan, whisking.
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Ready when: Yolk mixture is smooth and warm, with no scrambled bits
Tip: Pour slowly and whisk nonstop so the yolks don't scramble.
6
Cook the custard
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula and scraping the bottom, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the custard thickens and reaches 175°F (80°C).
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Ready when: Coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean line; thermometer reads 175°F (80°C)
Tip: Don't go above 180°F (82°C) or the eggs may curdle.
7
Strain and chill
- Immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the cold cream.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Set the bowl in the ice bath and stir for 5 minutes to cool.
- Cover with plastic pressed on the surface and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until completely cold (below 40°F / 4°C).
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Ready when: Custard is thick and very cold throughout
Tip: A thoroughly chilled base gives smaller ice crystals and smoother ice cream.
8
Churn the base
- Stir the chilled custard, then pour it into the frozen ice cream maker bowl.
- Churn according to the manufacturer's directions, about 20 to 25 minutes, until it looks like thick soft-serve.
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Ready when: Thick, soft-serve consistency that holds its shape on a spoon
9
Fold in strawberries
- During the last minute of churning, or by hand in a chilled bowl, add the mashed strawberries and all their juices.
- Mix just until swirled through.
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Ready when: Berries evenly distributed with pink streaks
Tip: Adding the berries at the end keeps the pieces intact.
10
Freeze until firm
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container, press parchment or plastic against the surface, and cover.
- Freeze at least 4 hours, until firm enough to scoop.
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Ready when: Firm and scoopable, not soupy
Tip: Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping.

Good to know

Tips

Chop strawberries small; large frozen chunks turn hard and icy.
Taste your berries: if tart, add an extra tablespoon of sugar to the macerating mixture.
For extra scoopability, add 1 tablespoon vodka to the chilled base before churning.
Don't skip straining the custard; it removes any bits of cooked egg.

Make ahead

"The custard base can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. The mashed strawberries can be prepared the day before and refrigerated."

Storage & reheating

"Freeze in an airtight container with plastic pressed on the surface for up to 2 weeks for best flavor and texture. No reheating needed; let sit at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes before scooping. Not suitable for room temperature or fridge storage."

Substitutions

fresh strawberries → frozen strawberries, thawed with their juices. Use the same weight; the flavor is slightly less bright but works well out of season.
whole milk → half-and-half. Makes a richer, denser ice cream.
pure vanilla extract → ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste. Adds visible flecks and deeper vanilla flavor.