Strawberry Ice Cream

Irish strawberries are well and truly in season now and the price has finally begun to drop.

The tunnel grown fruits are being replaced with the outdoor fruit which always seems to taste sweeter.

Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C and naturally sweet, though I usually add a light sprinkle of caster sugar and let them sit for a few minutes to macerate.

Strawberries and cream is one of the great indulgences of the Irish summer and Glenilen double cream (from specialist supermarkets and delis) is the finest I have found, usually containing large globules of cream that are just begging to be scooped off with your finger.

Dip the strawberries in melted chocolate and refrigerate for an hour for the perfect TV snack.

Stuff some warm pancakes with strawberries, and perhaps some chocolate, and serve with vanilla ice cream and a strawberry coulis (strawberries blended with some sugar and lemon juice).

Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar and drizzle with top quality balsamic vinegar for a surprising Italian twist that really seems to intensify the strawberry flavours.

The simple strawberry ice cream below gets made at least a dozen times every summer in my house and is delicious on its own, with chocolate sauce or served with fruit tarts.

You will get best results with an ice cream maker but if you don’t have one simply follow the still-freezing instructions below.

Strawberry Ice Cream
400g Strawberries
75g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1tbs Strawberry Syrup (optional)
240ml Cream (Glenilen double cream for preference)

Buzz the strawberries and sugar in a food processor until they form a smooth pulp (or mash and stir them vigorously with a wooden spoon). Add the vanilla and strawberry syrup and mix well. Beat the cream until it forms soft peaks and mix well with the pulped strawberries.

Freeze for 90 minutes, remove and mix in the frozen bits at the edges until you have a smooth mix. Repeat this process a couple of times over the next few hours to prevent ice crystals. Alternatively pour the mix into an ice cream maker and churn until stiff.