How To Make Berry Ice Cream Using Any Summer Berry!

Make memories picking summer berries with the kids, and learn how to make berry ice cream using your summer picks!

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Summer picking time!

This perfect growing climate for berries along the shores of Lake Michigan house some of the coolest U-Pick farms around, and picking has become something my girls look forward to every season. They know what month is what for every berry, and they each have favorites! We went out to pick strawberries last week! My older girls are getting to the age where doing these fun things with friends coming along is important to them, and goodness the girl giggles were so fun! I’ll protect the privacy of the girls’ friends and share an old picture instead of our recent trip – this is one of my favorites of my older girls picking strawberries as toddlers – such fun!

Turn any summer berry into ice cream!

Yep, you heard that right! Whatever berries are in season where you live right now can be churned into a fun summer treat the kids will never forget. YOU get to control the ingredients and sugar, which means it really is something fun to enjoy more than once a summer. And just about any kid will get excited about that!

Lots {and lots!} of practice!

It has been so many years since I made my first batch of ice cream. Over the years, this has become my go-to framework for any ice cream flavor with fruit really. While our focus is summer berries here, you could swap in summer stone fruits like cherries and peaches as well.

What’s with the gelatin?

It’s all about the scoop-ability and texture! I’ve tried all the things when it comes to a scoop-able, creamy ice cream from egg yolks to tapioca starch. While egg yolks are probably my favorite creamy add-in to ice cream, so many people (including myself) don’t tolerate chicken eggs. I’ve found the small sprinkle of gelatin to give the ice cream a great creamy texture as well as make it easier to scoop. I use this grass-fed gelatin, but you really could use whatever gelatin you have on hand – just really watch the ingredients.

Let’s talk about the milk!

If you have access to quality, grass-fed raw dairy and your family tolerates that, go for it! We have been a dairy free house for a while now, and my kids never skipped a beat switching from raw cream to full fat coconut milk – it is so creamy and delicious! I am not a coconut flavor fan, and I do not taste the coconut if you are wondering.

Summer memory making

There was a point earlier this month, where I mentioned to the girls that we might be too busy this month to pick strawberries. I didn’t think much of saying it because it wasn’t like we were just sitting around – we truly had a lot of other fun things going on! The visual drop on all 3 girls’ faces made me take a step back! I couldn’t believe how much these yearly visits meant to them – even my 9 year old. Now, I realize 9 year old girls can be dramatic, but she really did mean what she said when she declared it just wasn’t going to be summer without going strawberry picking! Momma, if you have littles at home, it is so worth starting those memories now! And momma with those older kiddos, make a slice of time for some picking – even if it’s just for a few pounds to make something fun in the kitchen!

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How To Make Berry Ice Cream Using Any Summer Berry! :: Dairy Free & Egg Free Too!

Author: Renee - www.raisinggenerationnourished.com

Ingredients

3 cups berries, hulled and halved if strawberries. If blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc you can just measure them out un-cut.
2 cups full fat coconut milk, divided
2-4 tbsp raw honey to taste (and depending on sweetness of the berries. Start out low – you can always add more)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp quality gelatin

Instructions

Put the berries and 1 cup of the coconut milk in a sauce pan, bring to a simmer, and mash the berries a bit. Simmer for 2 minutes, and then turn the heat off.
Put the honey, vanilla, and sea salt in the bottom of your blender. Pour the hot berry/coconut milk mixture into the blender, sprinkle the gelatin on top, and then blend for 20 seconds until smooth.
Pour the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk into a medium mixing bowl, and then pour the hot berry/cream mixture from the blender into the bowl. Stir to combine, and set in the fridge until cold – this could be overnight etc.
Once the berry ice cream mixture is cold, you can pour it into your ice cream maker to churn according to your manufacturer’s instructions. I use this ice cream maker, and it takes about 20 minutes to churn. You can serve it “soft serve style” right out of the ice cream maker, or you can pour the churned ice cream into a lidded container to freezer further in the freezer. If you freeze it completely, you’ll want to set the ice cream on the counter for about 5-10 minutes for easy scooping.