Berry Ice Cream
Delicious berry ice cream is a treat on hot days. And if you choose the right ingredients, it can be a healthy, nutritious way to enjoy ice cream that is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and probiotics.
Equipment
- 1 blender, or potato masher
- ½ cup measure
- 1 wooden spoon or tamper
- 1 ice cream maker, optional You can make ice cream with out an ice cream maker. See blog.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups mixed berries, chop if they are large. Use 1½-2 cups if they are frozen berries. They are stiffer and won't squish together neatly like fresh ones.
- 2 cups full fat milk, buttermilk, or cream or a mix of all these. My favorite mix is 1½ cup of milk and ½ cup of heavy cream. I also like to use some or all buttermilk in place of regular milk if I have it. This adds gut-friendly probiotics to your mix, as well as a pleasant tang.
- ½ cup maple syrup, honey or evaporated cane juice crystals. These add nutrients to your ice cream unlike refined sugar, which is 100% bad for you.
- 1 pinch sea salt. This helps intensify the flavors.
Instructions
- Blend the berries in a blender or mash with a potato masher. I don't like bits in my ice cream, so I use the blender, but if you don't have one, you can also strain the mashed berries through a sieve to get rid of any bits. If you prefer bits then don't use a blender, just mash the berries.
- Add ½ cup of sweetener to the mix and blend well.
- Add a pinch of salt if desired. It adds a little more depth of flavor and some micro-nutrients, but it's OK if you don't. I forget many times. Pulse a few times in the blender or stir well to mix.
- Now add the cream, milk and/or buttermilk. Just give it a few quick pulses or a little stirring to incorporate, don't try to make it frothy. Read about how to make your own buttermilk or bonnyclabber.
- Set up your ice cream maker, turn it on and pour the ice cream mix into the container. Let it run for about 15 minutes. And you will have a delicious berry ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft- serve. You can also scoop it into a freezer container and freeze for a few hours if you like it harder,
- Be aware that your ice cream will freeze very hard after a few hours in the freezer. If you want to enjoy some the next day, best practice is to take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator for an hour to soften it a little.
- Enjoy!