Strawberry Ice Cream
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA SUMMERIntroduction
There is just something about home-made strawberry ice cream: it's the taste of blue skies, of sun on your shoulders; an idealised memory of summer in perfect culinary form.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
There is just something about home-made strawberry ice cream: it's the taste of blue skies, of sun on your shoulders; an idealised memory of summer in perfect culinary form.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

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Ingredients
Serves: 10-12
- 500 grams strawberries
- 175 grams caster sugar (plus 2 tablespoons)
- 500 millilitres full fat milk
- 500 millilitres double cream
- 1 vanilla pod
- 10 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1¼ pounds strawberries
- ¾ cup superfine sugar (plus 2 tablespoons)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean
- 10 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Method
- Hull and roughly chop the strawberries, put them into a bowl and sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and leave them to steep and infuse with flavour.
- Pour the milk and cream into a heavy-based saucepan, and add the vanilla pod, split down the middle lengthways. Bring the pan nearly to the boil and then take it off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks and the 175g / ¾ cup sugar until thick and pale yellow. Take the vanilla pod out of the milk and cream and pour, whisking the while, the warm liquid over the yolks. Put the cleaned-out pan back on the heat with the cream, milk, egg and sugar mixture and stir the custard until it thickens, then take it off the heat and pour it into a bowl to cool.
- Puree the strawberries in a processor, and when the custard is cool fold in the lemon juice and strawberry puree.
- At this point you can either freeze the ice cream in an ice-cream maker, or in a plastic tub in the freezer. If you do the latter you should whip it out every hour for 3 hours as it freezes and give it a good beating, either with an electric whisk, by hand or in the processer. That gets rid of any ice crystals that form and that make the ice cream crunchy rather than smooth.
- Hull and roughly chop the strawberries, put them into a bowl and sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of superfine sugar and leave them to steep and infuse with flavour.
- Pour the milk and cream into a heavy-based saucepan, and add the vanilla bean, split down the middle lengthways. Bring the pan nearly to the boil and then take it off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks and the 175g / ¾ cup sugar until thick and pale yellow. Take the vanilla bean out of the milk and cream and pour, whisking the while, the warm liquid over the yolks. Put the cleaned-out pan back on the heat with the cream, milk, egg and sugar mixture and stir the custard until it thickens, then take it off the heat and pour it into a bowl to cool.
- Puree the strawberries in a processor, and when the custard is cool fold in the lemon juice and strawberry puree.
- At this point you can either freeze the ice cream in an ice-cream maker, or in a plastic tub in the freezer. If you do the latter you should whip it out every hour for 3 hours as it freezes and give it a good beating, either with an electric whisk, by hand or in the processer. That gets rid of any ice crystals that form and that make the ice cream crunchy rather than smooth.
Additional Information
Before you begin making the custard fill the sink half full with cold water. If you think the custard looks like splitting at any stage, plunge the pan into the cold water and whisk like mad.
Before you begin making the custard fill the sink half full with cold water. If you think the custard looks like splitting at any stage, plunge the pan into the cold water and whisk like mad.
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What 11 Others have said
Tinned strawberries work really well if you can’t get fresh. If using tinned don’t cover with sugar, the juice is really sweet and full of flavour. Don’t use all the juice from tin just a few spoonfuls is enough. I like to purée half and keep some big chunks. Left over strawberry juice can be kept and added to pink gin, topped up with tonic and garnished with fruit . Excellent with ice cream!
Thank you! I made this April 28, 2020 and it was delicious! I did not puree the strawberries (didn't want to mess with getting the food processor out). Thank you for sharing your recipe!
We have made this ice cream twice since we’ve been confined to our homes. Absolutely yummy. The only thing I had to do was strain the strawberries to remove pips owing to an awkward eater in the house, but this is the most yummy and moreish strawberry ice cream - make it! You know you want to. Really simple to follow recipe too.
Fantastic! It's my new go-to Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe.
Brilliant recipe. Makes delicious ice-cream. Love this website!!!
This recipe is perfecto! I would not change a thing.
I would suggest that you cover the custard with cling film when you're letting it cool. It prevents a skin forming on the top.
I have just put mine in the freezer! It doesn't really taste very much of strawberries though and it has a strange orangey-pink colour. I'm putting the colour mostly down to the fact that the yolks were very bright but I reckon the next time I'll use quite a lot more strawberries.
I am trying this recipe today, am half way but wondered what you do with the 10 egg whites? What quantities of ingredients are we talking for a 10 egg pavlova for instance? Is there anything else I could use them for? Thanks :-)
You do a different version of this ice-cream, which I'd love to make, using 'syrupy balsamic vinegar'. What make do you use & where from please? I presume you avoid the Modera balsamic? Thanks again.
I only gently mashed the strawberries. Then added some more just before freezing. Yummy yummy. Best strawberry recipe so far.