Boysenberry Ice Cream

The next time I had an accumulation of boysenberries, it was starting to get warm.  Time for homemade ice cream!

My personal ice cream affection is for something in the chocolate and/or mint family, but it's hard to pass up an ice cream made from something I picked myself.  (See Beet Ice Cream)

I went with an eggless, non-custard recipe for this one.  I'm also going light on the cream and more into ice-milk territory.  None of the recipes I researched included sugar.  Either the developers have a fondness for a tart berry, or I'm picking these far too early.  I chose to cook mine down with some of the simple syrup from the one jar of preserved berries that didn't seal.  Not a huge amount of sugar, but enough to reduce the sting.

You can substitute blackberries or raspberries in the same volume.  I made this recipe roughly equal to three 5-6oz packages.  Not everyone has a berry bush in their yard.

This recipe does rely on the possession of an ice cream maker.  If you don't have one, you can pour the mixture into a loaf pan and rake a fork through it every 30 minutes in the freezer until firm.  I vote for spending $50 on an ice cream maker.

*3 C boysenberries
1/2 C sugar or 2/3 C boysenberry simple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 C heavy whipping cream
*1 C half-and-half

1.  Rinse berries.  Combine in a pot with the sugar or simple syrup and bring to a low boil.  Skim off foam as necessary, like you were making jam, but don't let the mixture get to any setting temperature.  Reduce by about half, which will take longer if you're using the added water of simple syrup.  Allow to cool until no longer steaming.

2.  This step is optional.  If you want a seedless, smooth product, run the cooked berries through a food mill or sieve.  For an ice cream with a bit of texture, proceed to the next step.  I just smashed the berries while they were cooking.  I like chunky ice cream.

3.  Stir in cream, half-and-half, and vanilla.  Cool in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

4.  Process in ice cream maker to a soft-serve consistency.  Place in final container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving, to firm up.

5.  If necessary, let sit on the counter to soften before scooping.

Makes about 1 quart

Difficulty rating  :)