Blueberry ice cream

The wonderful flavour of wild blueberries captured in the best homemade blueberry ice cream. Homemade ice cream easily outshines any shop-bought version — both in taste and ingredients — and is a perfect way to preserve a little taste of summer. It tastes incredible… and just look at that colour! This is a traditional custard-based blueberry ice cream recipe made with egg yolks. You can prepare it with or without an ice cream maker — instructions for both methods are included below. Highly recommended :).

Ingredients for the blueberry ice cream (makes about 1 litre):

• 350 ml whole milk
• 250 ml double cream
• 6 egg yolks (from large eggs)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or seeds from 1 vanilla pod
• 180 g caster sugar
• 500 g blueberries
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Blend the blueberries with the lemon juice until smooth, then strain through a sieve to remove the skins (this step is optional, depending on your preference).

Pour the milk and double cream into a saucepan. Add the vanilla and heat gently until just boiling. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Pour half of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, stirring to combine. Return everything to the saucepan with the remaining milk and heat gently, stirring constantly with a spoon, until the mixture thickens slightly and lightly coats the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat immediately — do not allow it to boil, or the custard may curdle. Stir in the blueberry purée. Cover with cling film (placed directly on the surface), cool completely, then chill thoroughly in the fridge — preferably overnight.

With an ice cream maker:

Pour the chilled mixture into the machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Without an ice cream maker:

Pour the chilled mixture into a freezer-safe container and freeze. During the first 3 hours, stir or whisk every 30 minutes to prevent ice crystals forming and to ensure a smooth, creamy texture. Freeze until fully set.

Enjoy!