Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream Custard
This homemade custard-based strawberry ice cream recipe has been passed down by my family for generations. You make it on the stove, then transfer it to an ice cream machine for a creamy texture that store-bought strawberry ice cream dreams of.
Servings 16
Calories 171kcal
Equipment
- ice cream machine
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅔ cups sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Add milk, cream, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
- Whisk the egg yolks together in a large measuring cup or bowl. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking until combined. Continue slowly adding the warm milk until the egg mixture is warm. Then slowly add the warm eggs to the hot milk, whisking constantly until incorporated.
- Return to the heat and cook for about 5 minutes until it is slightly thick and coats the back of a spoon.(A thermometer will read 170º)Pour it through a wire sieve into a bowl. Let it come to room temperature, it will take about an hour.
- Chop the strawberries and add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar depending on the sweetness of the strawberries. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to mash half of the cut strawberries. Add the mashed strawberries and juice to the room temperature ice cream mixture and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Add the remaining chopped strawberries to the cold custard and process according to the ice cream machines' directions. It should take about 20 minutes to become soft-serve ice cream. If you want firmer ice cream, pour it into a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap until firm.
Notes
- Take your time slowly adding the warm milk to the egg yolks so they don't scramble, you want a creamy custard.
- Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to soften slightly. This custardy ice cream softens fairly quickly.
- If your strawberries are not very sweet, add a little more sugar to the chopped strawberries to bring out more of their sweetness. Taste the strawberries after about 10 minutes and if they're not very sweet, add another tablespoon of sugar.
- This recipe will fill a 9 x 5 loaf pan, it makes about 4 cups of ice cream.
