Grab a bowl and spoon! July is National Ice Cream Month and you can join the celebration by churning up a homemade batch of this all-time favorite dessert. If you think making ice cream is too much work, think again. My creamy, fruit-studded Triple Berry Ice Cream comes together in just ten minutes (plus 90 minutes freeze time in an ice cream maker).

 

This simplified version is a far cry from the way we use to make ice cream when I was growing up. I vividly remember my Dad hauling the large wooden ice cream bucket to our front porch, then carefully lowering a stainless steel cylinder filled with cream and sugar into the pail which was filled with ice and sea salt. Then he’d crank that contraption by hand as we kids danced around him, salivating with anticipation while the liquid ingredients slowly thickened into the frozen treat of our dreams. It took forever.

 

Looking back, I don’t know how he had the patience for it (which may explain why homemade ice cream was a rare treat). I don’t know if it was the long wait or watching my Dad labor over the outcome that made it taste so good, but it was simply the best.

 

Thankfully, it’s possible to create the same delicious, nostalgic dessert in a fraction of the time. This easy recipe takes advantage of summer berries at their peak. I used a combination of fresh boysenberries, tayberries, and strawberries in mine, but blueberries and blackberries work equally well. In fact, you may not want to tell your friends and family how simple this recipe is. Just savor the outcome and enjoy the compliments!

Homemade Triple Berry Ice Cream

 

Ingredients:

 

24 ounces mixed fresh or frozen berries of choice

1/2 cup sugar plus

1 1/2 cups Organic Half & Half

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Electric Ice Cream Maker

 

Directions:

 

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1/2 cup organic half & half with 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar melts (about 2-3 minutes). Add remaining 1 cup half & half and vanilla extract. Stir to blend then remove from heat.

 

2. Place berries in a blender. Turn blender on low-speed and gradually add cream & sugar mixture through the opening in the lid until incorporated. There will be small bits of berries in the finished mixture.

3. For best results, transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions (*it will take roughly 90 minutes for the ice cream to set up properly). You can also pour the mixture into a shallow pan and freeze for about 2 hours. Garnish with fresh berries if desired.

 

 

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Homemade Triple Berry Ice Cream