Homemade Peach or Strawberry Ice Cream

Well, summer is pretty much over and a part of me of SOOO okay with that.  I am ready for college football, apple cider, changing leaves, and pumpkin treats!  Not to mention my birthday celebrations ;)

Anyhow, last week we finally broke down and bought an ice cream maker.  I must say it was a fantastic purchase and my mind is overflowing with ideas I want to try in it.  After doing some research, we ended up with the 2-quart Cuisinart (found here).  Our first attempt was a simple vanilla ice cream, which was great...especially if you have REAL Mexican pure vanilla.  We picked some up down in Cancun earlier this summer.  

This was our second recipe, considering we had about 30+ pounds of peaches sitting around.  Not to mention peaches are by far my favorite fruit!  It turned out so so good, and it is always best when it first comes out of the ice cream maker.  So excited to try more flavors throughout the year :)  Enjoy!

Homemade Peach Ice Cream


3 cups fresh ripe strawberries/peaches, stemmed and sliced
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 cup sugar, divided
1-1/4 cups whole milk
2-3/4 cups heavy cream
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries/peaches with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir gently and allow the strawberries/peaches to macerate in the juices for 2 hours. Strain the berries/peaches, reserving juices. Mash or purée half the berries/peaches.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and remaining granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, reserved strawberry/peach juice, mashed strawberries/peaches, and vanilla. Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Five minutes before mixing is completed, add the reserved sliced strawberries/peaches and let mix in completely. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.


Recipe Source:  Cuisinart