peach ice cream

Peach ice cream is one of the best things about summer. My family always made a big batch for summer parties in an old fashioned ice cream maker. Using the best peaches you can get, and letting the peaches sit in the sugar and lemon juice really maximizes the flavor. Look for local peaches or visit your farmer’s market for this one.

INGREDIENTS:

PEACHES:

4-5 peaches, peeled and chopped (to make about 2⅔ cups)

⅔ cup sugar

juice of 1 lemon

CUSTARD:

1 3/4 cups whole milk

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

1 cup sugar

8 egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

big pinch of salt

EQUIPMENT:

peeler

knife and cutting board

measuring cups and spoons

pots bowls

whisk

strainer

ice cream maker**

spatula

YIELD: 3 pints

TIME: 1 hour to make custard, 3-4 hours to chill, 1 hour to spin ice cream

TO MAKE:

In a medium saucepan combine 2 2/3 chopped peaches, 2/3 cup sugar and the juice of lemon. Set aside and let sit for 20-30 minutes.

In a medium pot, combine 2 cups milk, 1 1/2 cups cream and 1 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Place the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the yolks. Return the mixture to the hot pot and stir for 1 minute, off of the heat. Strain the mixture into a bowl.

Bring the peach mixture to a simmer and cook for several minutes until the peaches are soft. Strain the liquid into the ice cream custard. Chill the custard and reserve the peach chunks separately and chill them as well.

When the custard is completely cold stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and spin according to the ice cream maker instructions. When it is almost fully frozen, add the cold peach chunks and spin for a few minutes more to mix in. Remove the ice cream into a container. Freeze for several hours before serving.

ICE CREAM MAKERS:

There are 3 types of ice cream makers that you generally see for home use:

1.compressor ice cream maker- these are the closest to a professional ice cream maker, quick and easy, with a predictable result, but also the priciest , generally ranging from $250-600. I'm using this one for all of my ice creams here.

2.freezer canister ice cream makers- I think these are the most common for home use, offered individually or as attachments to appliances like mixers. I find them a bit tricky and have not found one that has given me the results I want. The one big downside is that you have to freeze the canister between each batch. But, if you’ve had success with them they are good for small batches of ice cream.

3.old fashioned electric ice cream maker -these are the kind that use ice and ice cream salt to freeze and I actually love their results and they are the cheapest option. You do need to use a lot of ice and salt and they can be a bit loud and messy but they work remarkably well. If you don’t make ice cream often or want to spend the money on a pricey compressor machine I would recommend this.