How long does homemade ice cream keep?

We find this homemade blackberry ice cream recipe is best eaten within 2-3 weeks. Past that - depending on the container you keep it in - it can start to dry out and form small ice crystals in the freezer.

Why isn't my custard thickening?

If your custard isn't thickening, it may just need more time to cook! Because stoves and pans can vary so much, you may need to adjust the exact cooking times in this recipe. Follow the visual cues provided, and use a kitchen thermometer to ensure custard reaches at least 170° Fahrenheit to reduce the risk of food borne illness. Keep in mind that this custard doesn't thicken a TON on the stovetop: It will continue to thicken as it cools on the counter, and again as it chills in the fridge overnight!

What if my eggs start to curdle while I'm tempering?

If your eggs start to curdle and cook as you temper them, stop adding the hot liquid immediately! Whisk the egg mixture constantly for a minute or two, and try to work out any lumps while the eggs cool off after the shock of the hot liquid. You can also set the bowl in ice or cold water to help cool the eggs, or - if the curdling is minimal - give the mixture a zap with an immersion blender . If you have just a few chunks after tempering, don't worry - they'll get strained out when you pour the custard through a strainer later on! But if the entire mixture starts to look very curdled - almost like cottage cheese or scrambled eggs - you might just have to start over, and add the liquid more slowly next time. Don't forget that ice cream takes practice: Don't worry if it's not perfect on your first try! Keep at it. Learn More: How to Temper Eggs .

Do I have to use half-and-half?

You can swap whole milk (for a lighter ice cream) or heavy cream (for an even richer ice cream) for up to 50% of the half-and-half here. Although in our testing, a 100% half-and-half ice cream was our far-and-away favorite. We have not tested this recipe with dairy-free half-and-half substitutes.

Why does my ice cream have a gritty texture?

A few different things can lead to a slightly gritty or sandy ice cream texture. Not mixing eggs and sugar thoroughly. Make sure you've properly whipped the sugar and egg yolk mixture: Beat this mixture until the eggs are pale yellow and the sugar is fully dissolved. Chocolate didn't melt fully. If the baking chocolate pieces don't melt fully into the custard while it's still hot, you can end up with small pieces of chocolate that give your ice cream some texture. Next time, try breaking the chocolate into smaller pieces, or melt it in the microwave before whisking it into the hot custard for even better integration. Ice cream churned too long. If you churn the ice cream too long, it will develop too many ice crystals, which can lead to a gritty or sandy texture. For best results, churn the ice cream until it just resembles soft serve ice cream and begins to pull away from the sides of the ice cream machine, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until solid. If your ice cream is gritty, you can let it melt and try churning it again! Move the frozen ice cream back to the refrigerator for a day or two, until the ice cream custard has melted and once again resembles loose yogurt. To break up any residual texture, use an immersion blender to blend through the custard until it is very smooth, then transfer to your prepared ice cream maker and churn again (you can also give it a zap in a blender or large food processor). Keep a very close eye on the ice cream as it churns, and transfer it to the freezer container a little earlier than you did the first time to see if the texture improves! Remember: Great ice cream takes practice! If it doesn't turn out perfectly the first time, make some notes about what to do differently, and try again!

Why don't you add water to the blackberry syrup?

Often, when making fruit syrups, we add a splash of water along with the berries and sugar (like the strawberry syrup we use in our thyme cocktail , or the blackberry syrup from our blackberry whiskey lemonade ). For cocktail syrups, the water is great because it helps dissolve any sugar and creates a thin syrup that's easy to mix into other liquids. But in ice cream, that extra water can affect the texture of our custard and create an "icy" mouthfeel (as opposed to a creamy ice cream, which is what we want). So we leave the water out of this particular blackberry syrup in order to preserve that creamy ice cream texture. Thankfully, blackberries release quite a bit of juice, so as long as you keep the heat low and keep an eye on it as it cooks, you'll still end up with quite a bit of rich blackberry syrup (even without adding water).

How strong is the blackberry flavor?

This ice cream has a fairly mellow berry flavor: Because we're cooking the berries into a syrup first, we lose a bit of the in-your-face freshness that fresh, raw summer berries normally have. When you pair that deeper blackberry flavor with the earthy notes from the white chocolate, you're left with a very soft berry flavor that leans more earthy and complex than bright and tart. If you want a brighter, more tart blackberry ice cream, you can blend the berries and sugar into a purée and strain out the seeds (as opposed to cooking them into a syrup) and add the blackberries that way! In our testing, we really loved the syrup route because it pairs well with the white chocolate for a really silky, luxurious texture and flavor.

White Chocolate Blackberry Ice Cream

Description

This creamy homemade blackberry ice cream has a rich, earthy flavor thanks to a bit of white chocolate.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Blackberry Syrup:

12 ounces fresh blackberries (about 2 heaping cups)
1/3 cup sugar

For the Ice Cream Custard:

5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups half-and-half
pinch of kosher salt (about 1/16 teaspoon - seriously, just a pinch!)
2 ounces white baking chocolate (we used part of a Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bar)

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Instructions

Prep Work

Check the instructions on your ice cream machine. You may need to place the mixing bowl in the freezer a day or two ahead of time!
Read through the recipe post above (especially if it's your first time making ice cream!) and gather the equipment you'll need.

Day 1 - Make the Blackberry Syrup

Stir fresh blackberries and sugar together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes or until berries begin to fall apart and you have a thick, dark syrup.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl; strain blackberry syrup to remove any pulp and seeds. Use a spoon or spatula to press the berry pieces into the colander in order to extract as much liquid as possible.
Set syrup aside. Discard the leftover blackberry pieces (we like to freeze these extra bits for smoothies!)

Day 1 - Make the Ice Cream Custard

Make the egg mixture - Add egg yolks to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the yolks together for one minute (or whisk vigorously by hand for 3-5 minutes) until egg yolks are slightly frothy and have lightened in color. Add sugar to egg yolks a little at a time, beating well between each addition. When all sugar is added, add vanilla extract. Continue beating until you have a thick, pale yellow mixture. Set this egg mixture aside.
Heat the half-and-half - Add half-and-half to a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes until the mixture reaches a low simmer (about 180° Fahrenheit).
Temper the egg mixture - Use a small ladle to add a few Tablespoons of the hot half-and-half to the egg mixture. Use a hand whisk to whisk constantly as you stream the hot liquid into the eggs. The goal here is to slowly raise the temperature of the egg mixture, so that the eggs cook without scrambling or curdling. Continue adding hot half-and-half to eggs a little at a time, whisking constantly, until you've incorporated about 2/3 of the liquid. When the eggs are properly tempered, the egg mixture should be warm to the touch and should almost match the color of the original half-and-half.
Mix it all together - Slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining half-and-half, still whisking constantly. Whisk blackberry syrup into the saucepan, and add a pinch of kosher salt.
Thicken the custard - Return the saucepan to the stove; turn the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 8-15 minutes, until the custard has thickened slightly and reached a temperature of at least 170° F. When the custard is ready, you should be able to run your finger along the widest part of your spoon or spatula and no custard should rush in to fill the path you just made.
Strain the custard - Break white chocolate into pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl. Carefully pour hot custard through your strainer onto the chocolate pieces in the mixing bowl. Gently stir the custard in the strainer to help coax it through.
Mix in the chocolate - Let the strained custard sit for 3-5 minutes, then gently stir until all the baking chocolate is melted and fully incorporated into the custard.
Cool and Refrigerate - Let custard cool on counter for an hour, until it is completely cooled (stir frequently to release any extra heat and speed the cooling process). Cover the cooled mixture with an airtight lid and refrigerate 8-10 hours, preferably overnight.

Day 2 - Churn the Ice Cream

Remove custard from the fridge and give it a stir. It will have thickened slightly overnight, and should resemble thin yogurt.
Transfer the custard to your prepared ice cream maker and churn according to your device's instructions. The ice cream will lighten in color and thicken up quite a bit as it churns; when it's ready, it will resemble soft-serve ice cream or a Wendy's frosty. With our Cuisinart ice cream maker, the churning process takes about 20-30 minutes.
Scoop ice cream into a freezer-safe container with an airtight lid. Attach the lid and transfer the ice cream to the freezer for at least an hour so it can firm up before you scoop it. Ice cream will darken a bit and continue to harden for the first few hours in the freezer.

Notes

Please read the entire post above this recipe - especially if it's your first time making ice cream! - as it's packed with step-by-step photos and notes to help you succeed.

Equipment Notes. An electric hand beater will make it much faster and easier to whip the eggs and sugar together. If you don't have a hand mixer, plan to whisk these ingredients vigorously by hand for several minutes. We also recommend using a kitchen thermometer if you have one to ensure your custard reaches a temperature of at least 170° Fahrenheit before you strain it!

What ice cream maker should I use? We tested this recipe with the Cuisinart ICE-20 and ICE-21 ice cream machines. We like the ease and size of electric countertop ice cream makers, but an old fashioned ice-and-salt machine with a hand crank will also work here. Make sure your ice cream machine has at least a 1.5-quart capacity, and be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions for churning the ice cream in whatever machine you use.

Additions and Substitutions. You can swap up to 50% of the half-and-half for whole milk (for a lighter ice cream) or heavy cream (for an even richer ice cream) if you like. Use blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries instead of blackberries if you like. Use frozen berries if fresh aren't available (you may need to let the syrup cook a little longer). Add your favorite mix-ins (chocolate chips, nuts, etc.) to the ice cream during the last few minutes of churning.

Freezing and Storage. This ice cream will darken in color and continue to harden during its first few hours in the freezer. It will last a few weeks in the freezer before it starts to dry out and form ice crystals. We recommend using a strong storage container with a tight-fitting lid.

Great homemade ice cream takes practice. Homemade ice cream is almost entirely about technique. Plan to spend some time and attention on each step of this recipe, and don't be discouraged if things don't go perfectly on your first try! We have provided approximate times for each recipe step, but cook times may vary depending on your kitchen and equipment. Pay attention to visual cues and use the step-by-step photos in the post above to help you along!