Homemade Ice Cream

Dairy Or Vegan, A Summery Favorite

Who doesn’t love ice cream? On a scorching hot day, not much beats the fun of mashing fresh fruit into local milk and cream (or milk alternative) and freezing it into deliciousness. My grandkids are happy to eat homemade ice cream as chilly slush they call ice cream soup. I like a denser texture, which requires putting the soft set stuff into the freezer for a while to firm up. There’s something so nostalgic and sweet and happy about making ice cream with kids. Years ago, I had a fabulous White Mountain hand crank ice cream maker that combined a wooden bucket with a steel canister and paddle. You pre-chilled the canister, filled it halfway with a cold ice cream mixture, stuck it in the barrel, packed the edges with ice and rock salt and cranked away. Any and all kids loved to help, so this rather messy and usually lengthy process took place on the porch, where splashes of salty and often creamy mess could be hosed off and did no harm.

Somehow, that wonderful old machine got left behind on the trail of life, but since then, many faster, less cumbersome ice cream makers have arrived on the scene. Though some are automatic and electrified, I still prefer the hand crank types, which now feature fatter metal canisters filled with gel that holds the cold long enough to get your ice cream well started on the path to perfection. The only issue for me is making room in my ever-crammed freezer for the tub, which has to be kept in the freezer overnight to do the job. These come in many sizes, from pint to quart to gallon, but the smaller sizes are the most efficient, making soft serve ice cream in about ten minutes. Again, for firmer ice cream, transfer it to a tightly sealed tub and freeze for at least an hour.

Do You Believe In Magic

With many traditional recipes, homemade ice cream of any flavor is best the first day, as it tends to get rock hard over time. That wasn’t a problem in the past, when refrigerators were really ice boxes and freezers were almost unknown. Ice cream was for eating fresh and leftovers simply didn’t happen. To solve the problem, contemporary recipes often include a magic ingredient to keep ice cream silky; usually some form of corn syrup, which I (of course) eschew. However, a little experimentation showed that brown rice syrup is an excellent substitute, resulting in ice cream that’s satisfyingly dense yet not too hard. It also makes for ice cream that’s more creamy and less tooth-achingly sweet, and makes fruit flavors more prominent.

My usual recipes involve lovely local organic cream and milk as well as luscious fresh fruit. However, since some of us need to avoid dairy and others are vegan, I’ve developed recipes that please everyone, no matter what their dietary restrictions may be. The following recipes have passed multiple taste tests, but as always, feel free to adjust them to suit your family’s preferences.

Pure And Simple

Originating in ancient Turkey, dairy-free sorbets were traditionally made from dried fruit and rose petals mixed with sugar. Today, sorbets are usually made with fruit juice and water, adding flavoring agents and sweeteners to taste (or not). Tart sorbets make lovely palate-cleansers between courses at relaxed, leisurely summer evening meals. Especially refreshing sorbets can be made with rice or cider vinegar, diluted with water or vegetable juices. My own favorites pair fresh lime juice with pureed cucumbers (great with fish), or pureed sweet peppers with basil or cilantro (fabulous with anything grilled).

It’s quite easy to come up with tasty and simple dairy free and vegan recipes for both sorbet and ice cream, but our family favorites are made with coconut milk, with a rich creaminess that rivals dairy versions. Do a little tasting as you mix, because the sweetener amount will vary depending on the ripeness of the fruit and your preferred sweet-tart balance. I usually add bourbon vanilla to pretty much anything, enjoying the floral bloom it brings, but you can always leave it out (or add more!).

Merry Berry Vegan Ice Cream

3 cups ripe raspberries, strawberries, etc.
1/3-1/2 cup brown rice syrup
tiny pinch sea salt
1 can (about 2 cups) coconut milk
OR any alternative milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, puree berries, then drizzle in brown rice syrup with machine running. Add salt, coconut or other alternative milk, and vanilla, process for a few seconds, then chill until cold. Process in an ice cream maker as directed, then pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2 pints.

Spunky Rhubarb Vegan Sorbet

4 cups rhubarb, chopped in 1-inch pieces
tiny pinch sea salt
1/4-1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Place cut rhubarb in a saucepan, add 1 cup water, bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until soft (10-12 minutes). Puree with an immersion blender, add salt, brown rice syrup to taste, and vanilla and chill until cold. Process in an ice cream maker as directed, then pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2 pints.

Cherry Ginger Vegan Ice Cream

2 cups ripe, pitted, chopped cherries
1/4-1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 can (about 2 cups) coconut milk
OR any alternative milk
1-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root

In a food processor, puree fruit, then drizzle in brown rice syrup with machine running. Add coconut or other milk and ginger, process for a few seconds, then chill until cold. Process in an ice cream maker as directed, stir in ginger bits, pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2 pints.

The Full Dairy Experience

Fresh organic milk and cream from grass fed cows makes a truly memorable real-deal ice cream. Add some ripe and flavorful local fruit and whatever flavoring you desire for something no commercial product can match. Here, too, the brown rice syrup adds gentle, mellow sweetness without a cloying sugary blast, letting the fruit sing for itself. Wait, or vegetables? Huh? Oh my yes. Palate pleasing savory sorbets may be flavored in the French manner with ripe tomatoes or sweet peppers, basil or cilantro, as single flavor notes or in classic combinations like tomato-basil, cucumber-parsley, or fennel with oranges. In France, you might be served a bowl of chilled gazpacho topped with a scoop of basil sorbet that may melt your mind with sheer bliss.

Cherry Or Blueberry Ice Cream

4 cups chopped pitted cherries
OR blueberries (tart ones work well)
1/3-1/2 cup brown rice syrup
tiny pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
grated rind of 1 organic lemon
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream

In a food processor, puree fruit, then drizzle in brown rice syrup with machine running. Add salt, vanilla, lemon zest, milk and cream, process for a few seconds, then chill until cold. Process in an ice cream maker as directed, pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2 pints. This is also delightful with strawberries and lime zest, or blackberries and orange zest…

Summer Savory Sorbet

2 cups chopped sweet cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup stemmed basil leaves and stems
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups heavy cream

In a food processor, combine tomatoes, basil and salt and puree, add cream and process for a few seconds, then chill until cold (overnight is good). Process in an ice cream maker as directed, then pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2-1/2 pints. Serve between courses or add a dollop to any chilled soup, from Swedish Cherry to Spanish Gazpacho. Caution: Mildly addictive!

Note: All recipes serve at least one.

 

 

 

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