Strawberry Ice Cream

By the RecipeCafe Archives

Ingredients

• 3 pints (1.4 L) thin cream (light cream or half-and-half)
• 1.5 cups (300 g) granulated sugar, divided (some for macerating berries, remainder to taste)
• 2 boxes (approximately 2 pints / 680 g total) fresh strawberries
• 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, divided
• 1.5 tablespoons (14 g) arrowroot powder

Instructions

1. 1. Wash and hull the strawberries. Sprinkle with a generous portion of the sugar (roughly 1/2 cup / 100 g), toss to combine, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. This maceration technique draws juice from the fruit and dissolves the sugar into the berries.
2. 2. After macerating, mash the berries thoroughly with a fork or potato masher, then rub through a fine-mesh strainer (or food mill) to remove seeds and skins. Reserve the strained fruit puree.
3. 3. Measure out 1.5 cups (360 ml) of the whole milk into a heavy saucepan. Scald the milk over medium heat — scalding means heating just below a simmer, to approximately 180°F (82°C), until small bubbles form around the edges and a faint skin appears on the surface. Do not boil.
4. 4. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 0.5 cup (120 ml) of whole milk with the arrowroot powder until fully dissolved and no lumps remain. This is called blooming or dispersing a starch slurry.
5. 5. Gradually whisk the arrowroot-milk slurry into the hot scalded milk. Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens noticeably — it should coat the back of a spoon and hold a line drawn through it with a finger.
6. 6. Remove from heat and allow the cooked milk-arrowroot base to cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold (at least 1 hour, ideally 2 hours).
7. 7. Stir the remaining sugar (approximately 1 cup / 200 g) and the thin cream into the cold arrowroot base until the sugar is dissolved.
8. 8. Pour the cream mixture into an ice cream freezer and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until the mixture reaches a soft, slushy mush stage — approximately 10-15 minutes in a standard hand-crank or electric freezer, until the mixture holds its shape loosely but is not yet firm.
9. 9. Open the freezer, add the strained strawberry puree, and stir to incorporate evenly. Continue churning until the ice cream is fully frozen and firm — an additional 15-25 minutes, until the paddle slows significantly and the ice cream holds a clean scoop.
10. 10. Transfer to a chilled container, press plastic wrap or parchment against the surface, cover tightly, and harden in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.