July 19 is National Ice Cream Day! Did you know that? Summer seems to have finally arrived in Chicago, after a cool and wet June. So it’s time to pull out the ice cream maker that has been languishing in my Small Appliance Ghetto all winter.
My family loves strawberry ice cream, but 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.
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 before pureeing them in the food processor. Then I mixed the whole thing together and chilled it overnight. 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.)
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
Summer makes me crave huge amounts of ice cream! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!!