Strawberry Ice Cream

A balanced strawberry ice cream full of fresh fruit flavor with perfectly smooth texture.

Why is strawberry ice cream so hard to make?

This recipe took the most testing out of any I’ve encountered yet. Strawberries are deceptively difficult fruits since they’re 90% water. When that water freezes it becomes solid ice (ever run into those rock hard frozen strawberry bits?). Too much ice in ice cream results in a grainy and hard texture, not the smooth luxurious treat we’re looking for.

What is dextrose? Can I substitute it?

Dextrose is a simple sugar used in pastry. Dextrose is pure glucose and about 70% as sweet as table sugar, sucrose. Sugars are necessary in ice cream because they inhibit ice crystal formation. However, if you use regular sugar (sucrose) for the entirety of the amount it will taste too sweet. Dextrose allows you to precisely control texture in relation to perceived sweetness.

You can substitute dextrose with 1.25x the amount of glucose syrup or corn syrup (not high fructose), which is more widely available in grocery stores.

I buy my dextrose powder online from Amazon, linked here.

What is locust bean gum?

Locust bean gum is a plant-based stabilizer used sparingly in ice creams.

Locust bean gum, also known as carob bean gum, is incredibly powerful at suppressing ice formation. It needs to be heated to the producer’s temperature to achieve full hydration and activate its benefits.

I buy my locust bean gum online from Amazon, linked here.

Feel free to replace the stabilizers with your preferred ratio or a pre-blended stabilizer base (e.g. Cremodan, Avabase, etc.).

Can I start with frozen strawberries?

Yes! The reason I call for freezing your own strawberries is because I believe the best ingredients result in the best output. When testing with frozen strawberries purchased at the grocery store I found the result to be less flavorful and often more acidic, though still tasty. If you have frozen strawberries from last season this is the perfect recipe to put them to use.

Do I need an ice cream machine for this recipe?

This recipe was made with an at home machine in mind and tested using the Cuisinart ICE-21. This machine has lasted me over 10 years thus far and the pre-cooled canister spins ice cream in less than 20 minutes.

Check out my other ice cream recipes to make with your machine.

Strawberry Ice Cream

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Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:10 minutes mins

Inactive Time:8 hours hrs

Total Time:8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 300 g strawberries hulled and sliced
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or 1g malic/citric acid
• 200 g heavy cream
• 270 g whole milk
• 75 g sugar
• 45 g dextrose powder
• 50 g skim milk powder
• 1.2 g locust bean gum
• 3 g kosher salt 1/2 tsp

Instructions

• Spread the strawberries on a tray and freeze for at least 2 hours, until solid. Defrost strawberries at room temperature for an hour.
• Blend strawberries with balsamic vinegar or citric/malic acid, then strain to remove seeds. Portion 250g puree and reserve in refrigerator. Puree can be made up to 2 days ahead.
• In a bowl, whisk together sugar, dextrose, locust bean gum, and salt. In a saucepot, bring heavy cream, whole milk, and milk powder up to locust bean gum hydration temperature (as specified by supplier, e.g. Modernist Pantry calls for 165F). Add the sugar mixture and cook for 5 minutes, maintaining specified hydration temperature for locust bean gum to fully hydrate.
• Create an ice bath with by filling a large bowl halfway with ice and water. Transfer the cooked base to a bowl. Place over the ice bath to cool.
• Once cool, whisk in the strawberry puree, cover and set in the fridge for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight to develop body and flavor.
• Churn the ice cream base according to machine directions. Ice cream is ready once texture resembles soft serve. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 4 hours to fully solidify.