Sour Cream Ice Cream and Strawberry Preserves

I’m slightly ahead of the curve this time, giving you a preserves recipe before the strawberry season actually starts! This simple recipe produces outstanding results — these are simply the best strawberry preserves I’ve ever eaten. Make sure to pick the best berries you can find.  I typically check every single stand at the farmers’ market before making my decision. The sour cream ice cream with its slight acidity is a perfect match, a refreshing change from the usual plain vanilla.

I created the ice cream recipe using the invaluable information from Frozen Desserts by Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir. The calculation table you see below gives the composition in grams, followed by the percentage of each solid ingredient, which is the key to a balanced ice cream. The preserves recipe is adapted from Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda Amendt.

Sour cream ice cream
Yields a bit less than 1 qt

16 oz sour cream
1 egg yolk
4.5 oz sugar
5.5 oz non-fat milk
0.8 oz non-fat milk powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice

• Place the sour cream in the freezer until almost frozen.
• In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with half of the sugar. Place the rest of the sugar in a saucepan with the milk and milk powder, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into the bowl while whisking, then place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk the custard until it coats the back of a spoon. Pass through a chinois into a container in a bowl of ice water, and let cool. Transfer the container to the freezer and wait until it is completely cold.
• Mix the sour cream and custard in a bowl, then churn in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Strawberry preserves
Yields 1 pint

12 oz (about 2 1/2 cups) hulled strawberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 g powdered citrus pectin (or 5 g powdered apple pectin)
10 oz sugar
1/2 tsp butter

• Combine the strawberries and lemon juice in a saucepan, sprinkle the pectin and bring to a boil, stirring constantly (there is very little liquid at this point, this is normal). Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Mix in the sugar, and let rest for 4-5 hours.
• Reheat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter, bring to a boil, and simmer for 7 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a sterilized pint jar, seal and process in a 200 F water bath for 15 minutes.
• Let cool for 30 minutes, refrigerate upside-down for 1 1/2 hours, and flip.