Photo by Maggie Heyn Richardson
Homemade peach ice cream is a tradition in many Southern households, and it’s an incredible treat to savor before the peach season fully slips away. Around Baton Rouge, you can still find plenty of fresh peaches at farmers markets, fruit stands and independent grocers, but they won’t last. Pick up a basket soon and get started on this creamy summer treat. You won’t regret it.
Unlike sorbet, ice cream demands an ice cream maker so you can churn it enough to make it harden. But you don’t need anything fancy or expensive. I use a 14-year-old electric Rival plastic bucket-style that’s a far cry from the pedigreed ones that sit on countertops. You can get a version like it for around $50. I keep it in the garage in a box. When I make ice cream, I usually do so outside because the machine is painfully loud. Last week, I made an exception and let it come inside, because it was so ridiculously hot.
Everyone has their favorite formula for ice cream, but a few consistent rules apply when making peach.
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First, pureeing the fruit is a good idea. The pulp gives the ice cream a pretty pale peach hue, and it keeps fussy ice cream makers from clogging. But it’s also really tasty to leave about one-quarter of the fruit in a chunkier form. Small bits of frozen peach are coveted little bite-sized prizes.
Second, peach ice cream absolutely demands fresh peaches. No exceptions. But, you already knew that.
Third, the peaches should be the same tender ripeness for ice cream as they are for snacking. Soft, and neither brown nor mushy.
Finally, if an ice cream recipe calls for milk, assume it’s whole for the benefit of flavor.
Here’s the recipe I use, slightly modified from the one recommended for my ice cream maker.
Makes 4 quarts
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2 cups whole milk
1 ¾ cups sugar
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
2 cups half and half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups whipping cream
3 cups pureed fresh peaches
1 cup diced fresh peaches
Scald milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat. Add sugar and salt, whisking until dissolved. Stir in half and half, vanilla extract and whipping cream. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Freeze as directed in machine. Just before freezing, add peaches. If you have issues hardening the ice cream, place it in a plastic container in the freezer, saving enough room so that it can continue to expand. It tastes great the next day, but will need to soften for about 20 minutes before serving.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com. Follow her on Instagram @hungryforlouisiana and on Twitter @mhrwriter.