Ok, so here’s a little summer quiz: What did we learn last week, other than the fact that 3-day work weeks rock? Well, careful readers, we learned that this year’s strawberry season was late to arrive but is awesome. We are, in mid-July, only halfway through the heart of strawberry season, which means we will have zero downtime before it’s blueberry season. And all this is overlapping with the greater “ice cream season” (a subset of maple creemee season, which some people believe should last all year.)
Let me connect the dots here. It’s time to bust out the ice cream maker in your basement. This recipe came to me via Sister B, who lives amidst California’s produce bonanza. It is, as promised, ridiculously easy, and kind of healthy, or at least not that unhealthy thanks to the buttermilk. It is for sure best with organic strawberries, buttermilk and cream, but also awesome with items from the standard fare at the air-conditioned Nirvana of your grocery store. No need to pre-make and pre-chill the mix, and, if you are feeling very Laura Ingalls, it can be made without an ice cream maker.
It’s summer—no need to prolong this. There are places to go, things to eat. Have a great weekend!
Stupid Easy Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream
This recipe is adapted from How To Eat A Peach, by Diana Henry. Our friends like Diana, in Mother England, know a thing or two about strawberries and cream.
Ingredients
- 18 oz strawberries
- 1 cup superfine sugar, divided
- 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways, or 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes
Method
- Hull and slice the strawberries. Put them into a bowl with half the sugar and the seeds from the vanilla pod (scrape out the seeds using the tip of a knife. or…dump in the vanilla.
- Leave this to sit for about 30 minutes. The strawberries will become soft and exude some juice.
- Transfer the fruit with all the juice and the rest of the sugar to a food processor and whizz (God I love the Brits) to a purée.
- Push the purée through a nylon sieve (or whatever you’ve got) to get rid of the seeds. Mix with the buttermilk, sour cream and salt.
- Churn in an ice cream machine, or transfer to a shallow container and put in the freezer.
- If you’re using the manual method, take the ice cream out and churn it – either using electric beaters or by putting the mixture in a food processor – 3 times during the freezing process. Do this first after about 1 hour, when the mixture is setting round the edges, then at 2-hour intervals. (Extra points for wearing a gingham dress during this escapade). Cover with a lid, or with cling film or greaseproof paper, between each churning, and when you store it. Freeze for around 8 hours or until completely firm.
- Take the ice cream out of the freezer about 10 minutes before you want to serve it, to allow it to soften slightly.
Strawberries, blueberries, ice cream. What is wrong with this picture? Nothing!
If you need something else cold, refreshing and summery to bring to the party might I suggest:
