Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
A family summer tradition.
I grew up hearing the churning sound of the homemade strawberry ice cream maker during summer at least once a week.
When we were young, my little brother and I helped make the ice cream, then played, then dashed in with bowls and spoons when the churning stopped so we could get some ice cream before the adults ate it all.
With temperatures in the upper 80’s as early as April, Southerners know homemade ice cream is a welcome relief to the heat. The anticipation of making the ice cream, hearing it churn, then waiting for it to be done was a regular occurrence at my grandparents’ house, at my parents’ house, and at multiple social events.
Strawberry, peach, banana, chocolate and vanilla were the most popular flavors, with the fruit variations appearing whenever the fruits were in season.
My kids make this entirely by themselves! I simply supervise (especially with the chopper).
Homemade strawberry ice cream is completely different from store-bought ice cream. This ice cream is softer and the texture is different, although it does harden up when you put it in the freezer.
Because this recipe has very few ingredients, it’s important to use good ones! I use organic whole milk, which makes the ice cream creamier, and organic strawberries, which taste better. If the recipe makes too much, store the extra in your freezer for a treat later in the week. I promise it won’t last long!
Here are a few tips on my tools of the trade:
I chop my strawberries to the desired courseness using this chopping tool. The chopped strawberry pieces freeze and you end up chewing them frozen, so I prefer small to medium pieces.
I have a large homemade ice cream maker, and it works very well for our family. After I make the ice cream, I store it in the freezer for it harden more.
If, however, you want an ice cream maker that does it for you without the need for ice and rock salt, Heather has and highly recommends this Cuisinart model!! It’s still inexpensive but reduces the cost and hassle of using ice and rock salt.
This is by far one of my favorite summer recipes; I hope it becomes one of yours as well!
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Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker M...Shop on Amazon
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- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp flour or cornstarch thickening agent
- 1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
- 1 part of container ice cream salt or regular salt
- 1 bag ice
- Chop strawberries to desired coarseness. Pour in sugar and stir. Put into ice cream maker and add milk to the fill line. (Fruit expands more so fill to below line a tad.) Taste before you churn; add vanilla, more sugar, etc. if needed.
- Assemble ice cream maker and turn on. Pour one layer of ice into ice cream maker, then add a layer of salt. Repeat until ice cream maker is filled. I pour approximately 4 -5 layers of ice/salt in total.
You can substitute any fruit for the strawberries. Depending on how tart the fruit is, you may need to add or subtract the amount of sugar you use. Always taste before you churn to make sure you like the flavor.
When layering the ice and salt, try not to get any salt on the lid. You can use regular salt or ice cream salt.
The ice cream is done when the ice cream maker stops churning. I like to allow the ice cream to sit in the ice, or I put it in the freezer to allow it to harden a bit more.