How to make homemade ice cream soft and fluffy?

Sugar, corn syrup or honey, as well as gelatin and commercial stabilizers , can all keep your ice cream at a softer consistency. Ice cream also stays softer when you store it in a shallow container, rather than a deep tub, and cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap to keep ice crystals from forming.

How to serve homemade ice cream?

You can basically serve ice cream with or on anything that is sweet or semi-sweet, like cakes (shortcake, angel food or biscuits) between cookies, atop of fruits such as peaches, raspberries or strawberries, inside a cake (Baked Alaska), atop pie, an ice cream parfait, perhaps an ice cream cake.

What is the secret to making ice cream very creamy?

When it comes to great ice cream, cold temperatures and speed are your friends: the faster you bring your base from liquid to solid, the creamier it'll be . In a 2-quart unit, a typical batch of ice cream will take between 18 and 25 minutes to churn.

What ingredient keeps ice cream soft?

In Lebovitz's book, he states that adding just a bit of alcohol to your ice cream base results in a better texture when it's churned because alcohol doesn't freeze. The alcohol prevents some of the ice crystals from forming, which makes the ice cream softer and therefore more scoopable.

Do you need condensed milk for ice cream?

Sweetened condensed milk The other job it does is absorb some of the liquids in the mix and boosts the ratio of non-fat solids in the ice cream due to it's high proportion of milk solids . This prevents the risk of large ice crystals forming and making sure the end result is silky smooth and buttery.

How to make ice cream in 10 minutes?

Step 1In a small resealable plastic bag, combine half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Push out excess air and seal. Step 2Into a large resealable plastic bag, combine ice and salt. Place small bag inside the bigger bag and shake vigorously, 7 to 10 minutes, until ice cream has hardened.

Does homemade ice cream have to be cooked?

Even when using pasteurized products, the FDA and the USDA advise consumers to start with a cooked base for optimal safety , especially if serving people at high risk for foodborne illness. Additionally, use only pasteurized milk and cream when making homemade ice cream.

How do you make homemade ice cream firmer?

The ice cream will be soft after churning. For firmer ice cream, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours before serving . Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.

What makes ice cream light and fluffy?

Ice creams that contain lots of air seem lighter and fluffier. While ice creams that contain less air seem thicker, denser and even creamier. For example, one of the fundamental differences between gelato and ice cream is the amount of air each contains.

Why is my homemade ice cream so hard?

If the ice cream is served at a lower temperature, there will be less unfrozen water so the ice cream will be harder . The objective is so to balance the recipe to reach this 75% of unfrozen water at the temperature where you will serve your ice cream.

No-Cook Blackberry-Lemon Ice Cream Recipe on Food52 (2024)

5 Ingredients or Fewer

by: Posie (Harwood) Brien

May29,2015

4.8

4 Ratings

No-Cook Blackberry-Lemon Ice Cream Recipe on Food52 (1)

Makes 2 quarts

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

A very simple ice cream (from the can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk) that showcases summer fruit. Creamy and rich with sweetened condensed milk, tart and bright with lemon juice, it's the perfect summer dessert. —Posie (Harwood) Brien

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

2 cupspuréed blackberries
¹/₄ cuplemon juice
1 tablespoonlemon zest
3 cupshalf-and-half
14 ouncessweetened condensed milk

Directions

Add all your ingredients to a large bowl. If you want the ice cream to be extra smooth, strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the blackberry seeds (I don't always do this, but it makes the texture nicer).
Add the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. I suggest sticking the finished ice cream in the freezer for at least an hour before serving to harden it even more.

Tags:

Ice Cream/Frozen Desserts
American
Lemon
Blackberry
Fruit
Make Ahead
5 Ingredients or Fewer
Summer
Dessert

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50 Reviews

Joyce M. June 12, 2017

I love this website

Peg May 22, 2017

I prepared the recipe exactly as written and it was delicious! I could hardly stop "tasting" as the ice cream maker did it's job ;) Straining the mixture through a sieve took just a few extra minutes. I added the lemon zest after straining. A big hit after dinner last night! Will definitely make this easy recipe again. Manufacturer of the ice cream maker recommends all ingredients be cold when mixing; this seems to be a factor of success for me.

KatieHighland May 12, 2017

This sounds great and easy. Just one question: no mixing necessary before adding all the ingredients into the ice cream maker??

FS May 11, 2017

This sounds like a great recipe which I will probably never use because I don't have an ice cream maker, nor do I have room in the freezer for anything needing to be frozen. However, I don't understand the final instruction to make the ice cream extra hard. While some may like their ice cream rock hard (my poor teeth!!), wouldn't the taste be better if the texture were a little soft?

judy June 11, 2016

I have been trying no churn recipes lately. Using full whipping cream. I no longer have a ice cream maker. The basic recipe is 2 Cups whipping cream to 1 can SCM. Whip the cream. fold ingredients of choice up to about 1/2 C + spices into the SCM then fold Whipped cream into the SCM in about 1/3rds. Put in freezer safe container. Freeze for 4-8 hours, or over night. I also add about an 1/8th tsp or a little more of xanthan gum. Helps keep the crystals down and smoothes out the mouth feel even more. I don't have to keep a ice cream freezer cylinder in the fridge at al times this way. Just plan a bit ahead. Thanks for the recipe.

Kathi May 11, 2017

Thank you so much for your comment Judy. I have never owned an ice cream machine or churn and I really would like to make some of this and now with your comment I can. Thanks again - Kathi

Rachel August 19, 2015

This really didn't work for me! Maybe I added a little too much berry puree, but it came out super duper icy. I also really disliked the taste of the condensed milk, it gave the whole thing a flat chalky flavor.

I tried to rescue it by melting it down again, adding more heavy cream and a touch of corn syrup, then re-churning, hoping that the syrup and fat would help keep it creamy, but no dice. It is better than before but still very icy and has a strange texture almost like shaved snow.

Not sure what I did wrong, since everyone else seemed to have such good results!

D July 19, 2015

OMG Best ice cream ever. Love it!!!

Gloria B. July 17, 2015

Hi Holly,
Made 2 quarts using blueberries, raspberries and one peach. It came out outstanding. My mother-in-law says its the best ice cream she has ever had. Thank you so much for the recipe.