Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

Looking for more buttermilk recipes, I thought this was a fine time to do it up in ice cream. After all, I still haven't returned the maker.

Strawberry ice cream is not my favorite and I'd never order it in a shop where cookie dough or chocolate chunk or cherry or vanilla are available. Maybe this will be the recipe that scootches strawberry higher in the ice cream rankings.

Strawberry-Buttermilk Ice Cream
from Cooking Club
click to print

1 lb. strawberries, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 c half-and-half
3/4 c buttermilk
1/3 c sugar
2 tbsp mild honey
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp xanthan gum powder, optional

Puree strawberries in food processor or blender until smooth.


Strain through fine strainer into large bowl, pressing with rubber spatula to extract all of the pulp (there should be 2 cups).


Whisk in half-and-half, buttermilk, sugar, honey, balsamic vinegar, and xanthan gum until blended and smooth.


Refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight until chilled. (The mixture should be about 35 - 40°F before placing in ice cream maker.)


Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

The strawberry cream is in the covered aluminum can, topped with the motor and surrounded by layers of ice cubes and rock salt. After churning for about 45 minutes, the cream looked like soft-serve and was transferred to a big sour cream container for freezing.

Serve immediately or freeze in covered container for up to 2 hours. (Ice cream can be stored in freezer for up to 1 week but it will become very hard. To soften before serving, cut into chunks and pulse in food processor until smooth and creamy.)



Light, creamy-ish, but icy. I think the 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum just wasn't enough to overcome how slowly the ice cream was churned, resulting in said ice. A workaround for the future would be to get rid of the water content. Cooking the water off the strawberry puree would be ideal. Maybe starting with double the strawberry and reducing the strained puree would be the way to go?

I really thought the buttermilk would be weird, adding a distinct tang, but I couldn't even tell buttermilk's in there. While the strawberry flavor is fresh and nice, I think it'd be better if there were a few seeds. I like seeds. And maybe that's why I am not a huge fan of strawberry ice creams - they seem like the "meat" has been removed.

The ice cream froze so freakin' hard it's incredible. I like hard ice cream a lot and this did not disappoint. While the recipe suggested softening the ice cream by giving it a ziz in a food processor, that went against my grain and I did not select to do that once.

I prepared the strawberry mixture over 30 minutes on the 10th and let it chill about 24 hours. Then I worked on churning it the 11th, another 60 minutes total, and threw it in the fridge to freezer overnight. While only 90 minutes was spent goofing with the ice cream, I'll give it a 48 hour label so you aren't deceived into thinking you'll be eating some in less than two hours.

Cost:

• strawberries: $2.49
• half-and-half: $1.56
• buttermilk: $0.20
• sugar: $0.13
• honey: $0.24
• balsamic vinegar: $0.11
• xanthan gum: $0.04

Total: $4.77 or about $0.60 for each of eight half-cup servings.

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