Blackberry Ice Cream, Custard Style

Summer is here, and so is berry season! Read on to learn how to make blackberry ice cream with freshly picked blackberries. Ice cream is a great way to use fresh, local ingredients, such as blackberries, milk, and eggs.

Planting a few blackberry bushes on our homestead was one of the best things we ever did. They grow really well here, and are super low maintenance. We have a lot of wild blackberries as well. They are thorny and a bit invasive, but I can’t deny that they produce tons of delicious tart berries. We enjoy picking blackberries for several weeks each summer. This fresh blackberry custard ice cream is one of our favorite things to make with it.

The slightly acidic clay soil in this part of Louisiana has been perfect for growing fruit. We grow blueberries, blackberries, muscadines, and plums. All it takes is pruning once a year, adding some bunny poo to the soil regularly over the fall/winter, occasional weeding in the berry patches, and of course harvesting. I also keep an eye out for caterpillars in the spring -if there’s a lot, they can damage tons of leaves in a short time.

Overall, growing fruit like blackberries is less work than growing vegetables, spread out over the year. It’s pretty low maintenance. The intense shorter term work of soil prep, planting, weeding, watering, and pest control required by some summer veggies makes fruit seem like a free gift. I highly recommend planting whatever fruit grows well in your area, as soon as possible! In just a year or two, you’ll be able to make delicious treats like this Fresh Blackberry Custard Ice Cream.

How to make Fresh Blackberry Ice Cream

• large mixing bowl
• two small mixing bowls
• small saucepan
• whisk
• mesh strainer
• potato masher
• ice cream machine

Ingredients:

• Ingredients:
• 2 pints fresh blackberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Ice and rock salt, for ice cream machine

Because this is a custard style Blackberry Ice Cream, you need egg yolks. Some ice cream recipes can be made by simply mixing cream and sugar together and freezing it. It’s simple, and tastes good. But in my opinion, the addition of egg yolks adds so much rich creaminess that it’s worth the extra steps. And if you have chickens like me, it’s a good way to use some eggs.

How to separate egg yolks

Your first step is going to be separating the egg yolks. Crack the egg gently on a flat surface, such as your countertop -not the edge of the bowl. This will create a dent-like crack that won’t allow the insides of the egg to spill out yet. Then place your two thumbs on the dent, and press them into the egg shell to crack the egg, then pull the shell apart carefully. Hold the insides of the egg in one egg shell half and then carefully move the egg yolk into the other egg shell half, while letting the egg white fall into a small bowl. Plop the egg yolk into a separate small bowl.

Alternatively, you can do all of the above, but instead of moving the egg yolk into an egg shell half, you can pour the egg onto your hand. Gently hold the yolk with your fingers while letting the white slip between your fingers into the bowl below.

Crush the Blackberries

In a small bowl, mix the blackberries with 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir and mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon. You want a syrupy consistency with some small chunks of berries. You could fully mash or even puree the berries, and then strain the seeds out, if you prefer a smooth, seedless ice cream.

Make the Custard

Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks until thick and pale yellow.

Pour the milk and 1 cup of sugar into a small saucepan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring, until steamy. Then, slowly pour the steamy milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly until smooth. If you pour the milk in too quickly, or don’t whisk while pouring, the egg yolks will cook and become chunky.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Pour the thickened custard through a sieve (to catch any cooked egg yolk bits) into the heavy cream. Stir to combine.

Add the crushed blackberries and stir to combine.

Cover and chill for two hours in the refrigerator. Then, freeze in an ice cream machine according to your machine’s instructions, until thick. You can eat it as soon as it’s done, as soft serve, or put it in a container and freeze it until hardened.