Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Frankly, I'm not a fan of canned fruits or vegetables.

I mean, I eat and use them if that's what I've got, but...

Canned vs. fresh? No comparison.

They're nothing alike.

The flavor and texture of those that are canned generally leave something to be desired.

Peaches and pears are the two I usually think of when canned fruit is brought to mind. Those two fruits can aspire to something so much more than being tinned, and nothing at all has to be done with them!

Well, if fruit could aspire.

Because it's ok as long as cows approve.

When things are in season and soooo good, why not eat them as much as possible?

Maybe if you eat enough peaches right now, you won't want any in December.

That said, I am aware that I've technically cheated and "done something" to the peaches when I put them into ice cream.

We used to make peach ice cream in the summer. We had a hand crank ice cream maker, which has since completely disappeared, and I remember that my dad used to crush a big bag of ice for it.

The bag of ice would be placed between two boards and he'd drive the car over it a few times.

Alright, so the technique might have been slightly unorthodox, but hey, it got the job done.

This was about 25 years ago and I don't think they made fridges with ice makers and ice crushers yet. Hammers and cars were the way to go.

Cars can also apparently be useful for pulling stubborn dead bushes out of your yard. Just be careful of your rear windshield, or you will need to replace it.

Consider this a fair warning.

Now, as for peach ice cream, the riper the peaches, the better your ice cream will be.

Peach Ice Cream

Adapted from a Ben & Jerry's Recipe as well as a recipe from Gourmet, June 2008

1 1/2 c heavy (whipping) cream

1 1/2 c whole milk

1 c sugar, divided

pinch of salt

2 large eggs

2 c fresh peaches, peeled and chopped

1 T lemon juice

1/2 t vanilla

1/4 t almond extract (optional, but recommended if the peaches aren't the ripest)

In a saucepan, combine cream, milk, salt, and 1/4 c sugar. Warm over medium low heat and stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. While the cream mixture heats, whisk the eggs until frothy, add 1/4 c sugar, and continue to whisk until the sugar is well incorporated. Set aside.

Watch for small bubbles to appear at the edge of the pan of milky cream. Once it reaches this point, slowly pour about 1 cup of the cream mixture into the eggs while whisking to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan of hot cream while stirring. Continue to cook while stirring a few minutes until the ice cream base is slightly thickened. Pour through a sieve into a bowl, stir in the vanilla, and refrigerate several hours until cold.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl combine the peaches, 1/2 c sugar, and lemon juice. Stir and refrigerate 2 hours, stirring again every 30 minutes.

Strain the peaches and reserve both the juice and the peaches.

Combine the cooled ice cream base with the strained peach juice and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is almost completely thickened add the peaches so they're scattered throughout the ice cream.

Remove the ice cream to a plastic container, cover, and freeze several hours until completely frozen and scoop-able.