Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry Reduction
- 400 g fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled and diced
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Ice Cream Base
- 400 ml heavy whipping cream, cold, minimum 35 percent milk fat
- 395 g sweetened condensed milk
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 1 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 347 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 32 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 31 g
- Sodium
- 125 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 73 mg
- Potassium
- 310 mg
- Calcium
- 181 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 23 mg
- Phosphorus
- 166 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 243 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 32 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.31 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 20 mcg
- Water
- 90 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine diced strawberries and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, mashing the berries occasionally with a fork or potato masher, until the mixture reduces by half to a thick, jammy consistency. This removes excess water that causes an icy texture.
Transfer the strawberry reduction to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until completely cold, approximately 4°C/39°F. Do not mix warm strawberries into the base or it will melt the whipped cream.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Watch carefully to avoid over-whipping, which will cause the cream to separate into butter.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the chilled strawberry reduction, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and sea salt until evenly combined.
Gently fold the strawberry-milk mixture into the whipped cream using a silicone spatula. Use a sweeping under-and-over motion, scraping the bottom of the bowl, to incorporate without deflating the trapped air.
Transfer the mixture to a metal loaf pan. Press a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream to prevent freezer burn. Freeze until firm, at least -18°C/0°F, which takes about 6 hours.
Chef's Notes
- The secret to fruit-flavored no-churn ice cream is water management. Fresh fruits are mostly water, which turns into hard ice crystals in the freezer. By cooking the strawberries down, we evaporate the water and concentrate the flavor and pectins.
- A pinch of salt and a splash of lemon juice are critical here; sweetened condensed milk is intensely sugary, and these acidic and savory components balance the palate so it does not taste cloying.
- For the creamiest texture, chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes before whipping the cream. Cold cream whips faster and achieves a more stable structure.
Storage
Freezer: 1 month — Keep the surface covered directly with parchment paper or plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals from forming.
Troubleshooting
Ice cream is icy and crunchy rather than creamy
Cause: Strawberries were not reduced enough, leaving excess water content in the base, or the container was not sealed properly in the freezer.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the strawberry puree is cooked down to a very thick jam before chilling. Always press wrap directly onto the surface before freezing.
Ice cream is too soft and melts rapidly
Cause: Not frozen long enough or the cream was not whipped to stiff peaks before folding.
Fix: Return to the coldest part of the freezer for another 4-6 hours.
Prevention: Whip cream to firm, stiff peaks and allow a full 6-8 hours for freezing.
Whipped cream is grainy and separating
Cause: The heavy cream was over-whipped and began turning into butter.
Fix: If slightly grainy, gently fold in a tablespoon or two of liquid heavy cream to smooth it out. If completely separated into butter and buttermilk, you must start over.
Prevention: Stop whipping as soon as the cream holds firm peaks. Do not walk away from the mixer.
Cultural Context
No-churn ice cream has revolutionized home baking by democratizing frozen desserts. Historically, ice cream required a specialized churning mechanism to break up ice crystals as the custard froze. The modern no-churn method borrows from the structure of semifreddo, relying on the pre-aerated structure of whipped cream and the high sugar concentration of condensed milk to lower the freezing point and keep the mixture pliable.
