It’s high strawberry season in the Midwest. Farmers market tables display row upon row of ruby-red berries capped with jolly green stems. At my house, we’ve already indulged in strawberry shortcake, strawberry rhubarb pie and I’ve put up nine jars of a strawberry-rhubarb- jalapeño jam. While I am certain that my husband would not have objected to more shortcake and pie, when my law school roommate decided to come for dinner with her scrumptious baby, I decided to try something different and make a strawberry ice cream in my ice cream maker.
As I have mentioned before, I prefer strawberries when they are combined with another flavor. One of my favorite combinations is a classic: strawberries and Balsamic vinegar. The tartness of Balsamic vinegar magically enhances the sweet strawberry flavor and boosts the fruit’s natural red hue. It is not for nothing that a quick Internet search will turn up thousands of strawberries and Balsamic vinegar recipes.
You will probably notice too that basil pops up in many of these strawberries and Balsamic vinegar recipes. I wish I could explain better why this combination works so well. I suppose the basil adds a layer of minerality and earthniess to the sweet-tart combination of berries and Balsamic. The basil is what is interesting in this trio, just as it is in the classic tomato-basil-mozzarella trio.
My friends at OXO, the ingenious kitchen and homewards company, recently offered to send a group of food bloggers some of their super-handy tools for creating new summer recipes. The tool collections had two themes: one that I cannot remember and ice cream. Guess which one I signed up for? Having bought an ice cream maker over the winter — when ice cream makers go on sale, I suppose — I had been looking forward to putting it to good use once the summer arrived. The collection of measuring and storage tools from OXO — and the farmers market bounty — was just the inspiration I needed.
So, with all that in mind, I decided to see about making a strawberry-basil-Balsamic ice cream. I did not want actual pieces of basil in my ice cream because I was concerned about the leaves discoloring. So in order to get the flavor I wanted, I steeped several sprigs of basil in the whole milk and cream that was going to be the base of my ice cream.
I macerated the berries in sugar and a little Balsamic vinegar – measuring out small amount of liquids is easier than ever with OXO’s four-piece Mini Measuring Beaker Set — before pureeing them in the food processor. Then I mixed the whole thing together and chilled it overnight in my OXO LockTop Medium Square Container. The following day, I poured the liquid into my ice cream maker and churned it into the final product.
The result is a dense, creamy, not too sweet ice cream bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and just a hint of basil. Homemade ice creams freeze much harder than store-bought varieties due to the slower speed of home ice cream machines which are not able to introduce as much air into the final product as commercial, high-speed machines do. So, I suggest taking the ice cream out of the freezer at least ten minutes before you plan to serve it. (Another trick is to add a small amount of alcohol, which does not freeze, to your recipe.) It also helps to use OXO’s Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scoop with its pointed tip.
- 1½ cups cream
- ¾ cup whole milk
- Pinch salt
- 2 sprigs basil
- 1 lb. strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
- ¾ cup sugar
- Combine the whole milk, cream, basil and salt in a medium sauce pan and heat to a simmer. Turn off heat and let basil steep in the liquid for at least thirty minutes and up to an hour.
- While the basil is steeping in the milk and cream, combine the berries, sugar and Balsamic vinegar in a bowl and allow the berries to macerate for thirty minutes.
- Pour the berry mixture into a food processor and puree leaving some chunks of fruit still visible.
- Discard the basil from the milk mixture.
- Combine the pureed berries and the milk and cream into a resealable plastic container and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker to make the ice cream.
- Chill ice cream until frozen.
- Remove from freezer at least ten minutes prior to serving.
Full disclosure time: I received complimentary products from OXO to inspire my ice cream recipe. I have not received any compensation for this post. As always, all opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
