Simple Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

We're having a heatwave (just shy of 70 degrees Fahrenheit today), and that means it's time to make iecream! My husband still gets a kick out of my German ways : I was taught that you don't even think about icecream as an option until it's seriously shorts weather -- here in Alaska that means that some years you'll hardly ever get to let the sweet elixir cross your lips!

But today was a day that even my mother would not have disapproved of a batch of homemade icecream. I decided to search the bottom of the freezer for the last bag of last fall's wild Alaskan blueberries (harvested high in the alpine area with freezing fingers by my darling daughter only last September). Icecream made from wild blueberries always comes out a deep rich purple color (the picture I found on the web comes close to what I get -- BTW, Once Upon a Plate is a blog with great recipes!).
I never buy icecream anymore: making your own is as easy as falling off a horse!!! In my freezer I usually keep an assortment of flavors: there's always some Vanilla (and/or chocolate) icecream handy for when the desire for a cup of "Eiskaffee" strikes! But now that it's getting warmer, I'm turning more to refreshing flavors of summertime. Basic proportions are 3/4 c of sweetener to 3 cups of liquid (can use Half-half, or mix milk and cream) -- and you can control the quality of the ingredients and the amount and type of sweetener used.

My kids heartily approved of tonight's effort, and decided mom needs to publish the recipe. It reminds them of their friend Carson who moved away from Alaska, and who always wanted seconds when I made this icecream. Here it is with it's new official name:

Carson's Favorite Blueberry Icecream
1 c Alaskan blueberries, thawed out & squeezed thru a sieve
3/4 c sugar
1.5 c milk
1 c cream

Mix the fruit juice with sugar and rest of ingredients (I used to cook this first, but don't feel a need to do that with previously frozen fruit -- the freezing process has caused enough damage to the plant cell walls that you get plenty of good juice out of them). Process mixture in icecream maker according to manucturer's instructions -- mine takes about 20-30 minutes.


Lemon Icecream
3/4 c sugar
1 t lemon extract
grated rind from 1 lemon
2 c milk
1 c cream

Mix and process in freezer.

Green Tea Icecream
This was met rather skeptically by my troops when I made it several years ago, but I plan to try it again sometime soon. Green Tea is an acquired taste that I would not expect most children (or husbands) to like -- perhaps serve it for your next "Kaffeeklatsch" (German translates roughly to Coffee-drinking gossip get-together, which is very much a ladies' event!)

Steep 1 cup of strong green tea (using 2 bags) plus few drops of green food coloring
Alternatively, use japanese green tea powder (Matcha)
Add 3/4 c sugar
1 c milk
1 c cream

I know that this is far simpler and probably not nearly as good (or rich) than the way this icecream is usually made, namely it's a cooked custard using

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons matcha (powdered Japanese green tea)