Handmade Peach Ice Cream

This summer, adopt peach home-made (if not hand cranked) ice cream as a family tradition! Pick the most beautiful, blushing peaches at your farmer’s market or favorite shop and give them the treatment they deserve. A quick skinning and chopping and then add the peaches to a rich base of milk, cream, sugar, and eggs. Let it chill for a few hours and you’re ready to churn. Decadent, lush, in the bowl or on a cone, peach ice cream is the timeless taste of Delmarva’s summer.

By | June 20, 2024

Ingredients

  • 3 medium peaches, peeled and sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 1¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1½ cup heavy cream
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

DIRECTIONS

Skin the peaches—Bubba’s favorite technique was to blanch them quickly, cool in ice water, and remove with your fingers. Slice the peaches, then toss in a large bowl with ½ cup of the sugar (if doubling the recipe make sure to double this sugar amount to 1 cup) and lemon juice to macerate. Let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes until the peaches have released their syrup and are soft. Once the peaches have released their juices, mash them until your peaches are pulped—avoid any chunks, which will freeze too hard. Strain the pulped peaches and reserve the liquid in a separate bowl. Refrigerate both until you’re ready to use.

Begin your custard base. In a medium saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, ½ cup sugar, and salt. Heat over medium-low heat until hot, but not bubbling.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup of sugar, until light in color, about two minutes. While whisking, slowly pour in ½ cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk and sugar mixture to temper the eggs before adding them to the custard base. Slowly add another ½ cup of hot cream, whisking the entire time.

Pour the tempered egg yolks into the saucepan with the rest of the custard base and stir gently with a wooden spoon for 2-4 minutes, or until the temperature is between 170-175 degrees and the mixture is just thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Strain the custard base through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, then stir in liquid from the pulped peaches and refrigerate for 4 hours, until thoroughly chilled.

Pour the peach ice cream base into the ice cream maker and churn for about 25-30 minutes. Add the reserved pulped peaches during the last 30 seconds or so of the churning process. Once the ice cream is a firm consistency, get some bowls, some spoons, and get yourself a real taste of Delmarva summer.

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Ingredients

  • 3 medium peaches, peeled and sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 1¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1½ cup heavy cream
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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