The taste of homemade summer ice-cream is amazing, and a firm favourite with our family. Making your own ice-cream is a great way to use your crops of soft fruit. There are no artificial additives, and you’ll be reducing your plastic consumption, and transport miles by making your own in a reusable tub.

We’ve pinched our daughter’s ice-cream maker and are hoping she won’t ask for it back. It’s a wonderful gadget, and once you get the hang of making your own ice-cream, using fresh fruit from the garden, there is no going back to the supermarket. There are plenty of recipes for ‘no-churn’ ice creams out there on the internet, so have a look down the Google tube if you don’t have an ice cream maker, or use this one from the people at Good Food, who suggest using condensed milk if you don’t have an ice-cream maker.

No Churn Vanilla Ice-Cream

 

 

The method we use here at Bridge Cottage is to make a basic vanilla ice-cream (see below), then pop it in the fridge overnight, along with a fruit purée, which can be strained through a sieve or not, depending on whether you want lumps or pips. In the morning, when both are chilly, take your ice-cream churn out of the freezer (I keep mine in there permanently, as it is so frustrating to go to make ice-cream and find the churning bowl is not frozen)

Vanilla Ice-Cream

284ml double cream

300ml whole milk

3 egg yolks

115g caster sugar

Bring the milk and cream just to the boil, then set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light in colour and fluffy.

Add a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk and cream to the egg mix to loosen, then pour it all back in the saucepan. Bring gently to the boil, stirring with a wooden spoon until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Take care not to over cook or your mixture will split.

If you are in a rush, cool rapidly by placing in a plastic jug, in a bowl of ice-cubes, but I prefer to put a plate over the top and pop it in the fridge overnight once cooled. You are then ready to add any flavourings or eat it just as it is. How about topping it with some Raspberry Fridge Jam?

In the morning, or when you are ready to make your fruity ice-creams, churn the vanilla custard until thick, and then either pour in the fruit purée and let it all mix in, or swirl it once the vanilla ice cream is in the freezer container to make a ripple.

Freeze until solid, but the longest you leave it, you’ll find you may need to take it out of the freezer for ten mins before serving.

I’ll give specific recipes for three summer ice creams over on the recipes page:

Gooseberry and Elderflower Ice Cream

Raspberry Ice Cream

Blackcurrant Swirl Ice Cream

Homemade is definitely best, enjoy!

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or on our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

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You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other section of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what is seasonal and on topic:

• Sustainable Living
• The Bridge Cottage Garden
• The Bridge Cottage Kitchen
• Month by Month

Many thanks for reading.

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