Fresh Lemon ice cream

Fresh Lemon ice cream

This Lemon Ice Cream recipe has the perfect combination of sweet and tart flavor with a super creamy texture. Light and refreshing this homemade ice cream is made with fresh lemon juice and zest in an ice cream maker.

Lemon Ice Cream

We are all familiar with the popular lemon sorbet and lemon granita however, we don’t usually hear about lemon ice cream.

Lemon ice cream is sweet, creamy, rich and decadent yet, it has a light and refreshing taste plus the mouth puckering citrusy tang of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.

This homemade lemon ice cream recipe is similar in taste to my Creamy Lemon Pie which is truly one of my absolute favorite desserts (what can I say, I love lemon!). Made with a few simple ingredients and with about 20 minutes of hands on work, this frozen dessert recipe is the perfect treat for summer!

Why This Recipe Works?

Fresh Lemons: Instead of using lemon extract, we use fresh lemon zest and lemon juice which really improves the flavor of any lemon dessert.

Lots of Flavor: Adding the lemon zest to the custard base at the beginning, allows for the flavors to develop while adding fresh lemon juice at the end adds brightness and that puckering tartness we all love from citrusy lemons.

Never Curdles: The richness of heavy cream and the protein in the eggs keep the custard from getting curdle when the lemon juice is added.No curdled dairy here!!

Easy: Not tempering required!

How to Make Lemon Ice Cream

Making the Ice cream Base or Custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Slowly, add the cream and the half and half (or milk). Cook stirring frequently for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Chill: Remove from heat and transfer to a container. Cover and chill overnight.

Add Fresh Lemon Juice: Just before churning, stir in the lemon juice.

Churn: Strain the custard base into an ice cream maker to remove the zest. Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.

Freeze: Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for about 4 hours.

What is Lemon Ice Cream Made Of?

This sweet and tart frozen dessert is made with a few simple ingredients like fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, heavy cream, half and half or whole milk and sugar.

How Much Ice Cream Does This Recipe Make

This lemon ice cream recipe makes 1.5 Qt. of ice cream. Most homemade ice cream machines can only make small batches of ice cream at once so feel free to double or triple the recipe if you have a professional ice cream maker or a larger machine at home.

The Easiest Way To Make Homemade Ice Cream

Making homemade ice cream is incredibly easy although most people believe that it is a difficult task that requires a million steps and knowledge of unusual culinary terms like ribboning, scalding and tempering. Trust me, I was one of those people I am referring to!!

I am going to try to outline all the things you don’t need to worry about or think of when making ice cream at home whether is this lemon ice cream, vanilla or any other flavor:

Lemon Ice Cream Mix-Ins and Additions

Although this frozen dessert is perfect as is, if you are feeling adventurous here are some mix ins that will work perfectly :

Graham cracker pieces: Add about 1 – 1.5 cups of small graham cracker pieces in the last minute of churning.

White chocolate chunks: Add about 1 cup of white chocolate chunks in the last minute of churning.

Blueberry Ribbons: Add a ripple of blueberry sauce for an absolutely irresistible treat!

Candied Ginger: Lemon and ginger are a perfect match! Small pieces of candied ginger add an adult feel to this dessert.

M&Ms: Kids love this addition, not just on lemon ice cream but on any ice cream flavor.

Poppy Seeds: Yes! Poppy seeds are not just for baked goods. Add 4 teaspoons of poppy seeds in the last minute of churning.

Ingredients 

You will need

•  1 1/2 cups heavy cream
•  1 cup whole milk
•  3/4 cup granulated sugar
•  1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
•  2 tbsp lemon zest
•  1/4 tsp salt
•  4 large egg yolks

Directions

1. Prepare the lemon mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.

2. Heat the cream and milk: In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, and granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot but not boiling, and the sugar has dissolved.

3. Temper the egg yolks: In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. Gradually add the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture, stirring constantly.

4. Cook the custard: Continue to cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes. Do not let it boil.

5. Combine with the lemon mixture: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the prepared lemon juice and zest mixture until well combined.

6. Chill the mixture: Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl to remove any lumps. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, until completely chilled.

7. Churn the ice cream: Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.

8. Freeze the ice cream: Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until firm.

Storing Ice Cream

1.Unlike store-bought ice cream which lasts 2-4 months in the freezer when stored properly, homemade ice cream will only keep for 1-2 weeks in the freezer

2.Homemade lemon ice cream can be kept covered with a few layers of plastic wrapped, in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. After this time, the creamy texture of the icecream starts changing due to the formation and growth of ice crystals

3.So if you are wondering how to store ice cream properly, ice cream is best stored below -0º F in a wide and flat (or short) container in the back of the freezer. Ice cream stays creamier when there are fewer changes in temperature, that’s why keeping it in the very back of the freezer (and never in the freezer’s door) is best.

Lemon Ice Cream Tips For Success

1.Don’t forget to freeze your ice cream maker canister or bowl before making this recipe. Most manufacturers recommend freezing the bowl for 24 hours before churning ice cream.

2.Chill the ice cream base or custard throughly. Chilling the base not only allows the flavors to meld but also improves the consistency of the ice cream. A chilled custard forms stable air bubbles when churned making the ice cream super creamy!

3.Don’t be tempted to use just milk or low fat milk to make ice cream. The fat content in heavy cream makes ice cream smooth, creamy and dreamy!

4.When making the ice cream base, mix the eggs, sugar, zest and salt until well combined. The ingredients should be well incorporated and homogeneous like a perfect goo! (not a technical term!)

5.Stir the custard while is cooking making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent the custard from sticking.

6.Strain the ice cream base before churning to remove the lemon zest and any clump of tiny egg bits that often sneak into the base.