Lemon Ice Cream

Lemon is more usually served as a sorbet and often dairy free, and here I went and chucked a lotta lemon into what’s basically a vanilla ice cream base. BUT… well this is, just the loveliest lemon custard ice cream ever. And you know by now how I feel about my lemon bakes, they’ve got to be excellent: that tart flavor must be front and center and there can be no sweetness overpowering the zing of a true lemon bake. 

Here’s what you’ll love about this recipe: 

• Flavor: I always tell you, I like a lotta lemon =) This is a tart one, but not sour. 
• Ease: It’s super easy: everything in a pot, sieve, then a few more ingredients whisked in. Chill and then churn. 
• Texture: It’s wonderfully creamy and it’s packed with lemon flavor. 

Here’s’ what you might not like about this recipe: 

• Leftovers: You’ll need to separate the eggs and you’ll be left with a lot of egg whites (six!) but while pavlovas, meringues, swiss buttercreams and macarons exist, I think you’ll quickly find a use for them. 
• Machine: You need an ice cream machine to churn it. This one can’t be made without churning (but I promise to explore that for us at a later date). 
• Chill time: You’ve got to wait for it to ‘ripen’ and chill overnight. The flavor intensifies during the chill period and a colder base is better for churning. 

Recipe Ingredients 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. 

Lemons: the best lemons have a thinner skin and are heavy with juice. Because we’re using zest opt for organic or, if yours are not organic, rub the zest under water and then with a towel to remove the wax. 

-> Important: when zesting, don’t zest the white pith, just the yellow skin. The more you get of the white pith the more sour the flavor will be. 

Salt: fine sea salt. If using table salt, just use a pinch. It enhances the flavor. 

Heavy cream: or heavy whipping cream. I use ultra-pasteurized heavy cream. 

Milk: whole milk. 

-> If you want to make this dairy free you’ll sub the heavy cream with a soy based cream and the milk with soy or almond milk. It probably won’t be as creamy but that is to be expected. 

Egg yolks: from large eggs. Reserve the whites for another use. This is a custard based ice cream recipe so it cannot be made without eggs. 

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. 

How to make Lemon Ice Cream

Separate the eggs: it’s easiest to do this when they are cold. Reserve the whites for another use. 

Place the sugar in a pot and zest the lemons over it.

Then rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers, this releases the oil (and flavor) from the zest:

Mix the custard ingredients; the sugar, dairy and salt: 

Whisk well then cook until a thermometer registers 160 F. While it’s cooking, juice the lemons. 

Off the heat whisk in the fresh lemon juice & vanilla: 

Pour through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of any egg bits:

Chill overnight. 

Churn in the machine: 

How long does homemade ice cream last 

Roughly two weeks in the freezer if kept in the back and in an airtight container. Beyond that the flavor fades and you start to get some ice crystal development. 

What to serve with lemon ice cream

Obviously it’s great on its own but also I think this is great with any berry pie or galette where you’d normally use a vanilla ice cream. 

Important Tips for this Recipe 

1. Don’t zest the white pith: pay attention to what you’re zesting, once you’ve scraped off the thin yellow skin layer, move to another section. If you’re getting white pith this will make the ice cream sour and rather awful tasting. 
2. Cook to the right temperature: use a thermometer to tell you when the custard has hit 160 F, this is not only when it thickens but when the eggs are safe to eat. 
3. Strain to remove bits: You’ll whisk very well but still sometimes egg bits will linger and not mix into the custard. These are best removed by pouring the base through a fine mesh sieve. The sieve will also remove the zest but don’t worry, it’s flavor has already been captured. 
4. Chill sufficiently: the lengthy chill period is important for two reasons; first it lets the base chill so that when it goes into the ice cream churning machine it will be able to quickly start to freeze. The other reason is that it helps the flavor deepen. 

Lemon Ice Cream Recipe

Lemon Ice Cream

Creamy custard-based ice cream made with heaps of lemon zest and freshly juiced lemons for a super lemony, tart flavor.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Chill Time: 8 hours hrs

Yields: 1.5 quarts

5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

• 200 g or 1 cup fine granulated sugar
• Zest of 4 large lemons
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream or heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 6 egg yolks
• ¾ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Method

• Pour the sugar into a pot. Zest the lemons over it and then rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers, this releases the natural oils in the zest. Add the salt, heavy cream, milk and egg yolks and whisk well to combine.
• Set the pot over low heat and cook until slightly thickened and a thermometer registers 160F. Off the heat, add the lemon juice and the vanilla and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Leave it on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then cover it to seal and set in the fridge for at least 8 hours but ideally overnight.
• After the chill period, the ice cream base will have likely developed a thick layer on top, whisk it to make it smooth. Churn the ice cream according to the machine’s instructions. Store in a freezer safe container. Ice cream will be good to eat for 2-3 weeks.

Notes

Makes about 1.5 quarts.

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