August is a tough month. Summer is nearing it’s end and the days are shortening, yet there is intense heat and high humidity. Quite a depressing line-up. The good news is that there is lots of great produce ripening and the very best news is that peaches are one of the fruits in season. It is National Peach Month! Wearing that title (mainly) redeems the month for me. Especially, with a local orchard just down the road that grows peaches.

Peaches are in my Top 3 Favorite Fruits list. I love them. They are sweet & juicy and messy & delicious all at once. It is a very satisfying sensory experience. And a great thing to do while sitting outside in the shade on a hot day. Peaches continue to ripen after they are picked, but maximum sweetness levels will only develop on the tree. In other words, peaches will get juicier and soften after they have been harvested, but you don’t get the most intense peach flavor unless the peach matures on the tree. Whenever possible, chose tree-ripened peaches.

I tend to buy large quantities of the local peaches at this time of the year. Eric likes them sliced over Wheat Chex cereal for breakfast.  I’ll pair them with ricotta or cottage cheese for breakfast. We eat them as snacks, pair them with chicken or pork for main dishes, bake them into desserts, and make them into drinks. (Peach Mojito or Peach Bourbon Limeade, anyone?) But my favorite use for them is in a frozen treat. So, bring on the hot & humid August weather with the shortening days and I will enjoy some tree-ripened peaches in homemade ice cream!

Peach Ice Cream

Peach Ice Cream   Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ripe peaches
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 large egg yolks

Directions:

Wash & dry the peaches.  Peel, pit & chunk the peaches, reserving the peels.  Combine the peach chunks with the lemon juice & 2 tablespoons of sugar, then set them aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, vanilla, and the peach peels.  Cook the mixture, stirring, over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Do not boil! Remove the mixture from the heat.

The peach peels help add flavor to the ice cream base.

Place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisking constantly, pour in 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture, continuing to whisk it until the mixture is smooth. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan, whisking constantly.

To avoid cooking the egg yolks, slowly add some of the milk base to the egg yolks first.

Add the egg yolks back into the ice cream base and continue cooking it.

When it is smooth, place the saucepan back over medium heat and stir the mixture constantly until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 6-8 minutes. The mixture should never boil.

Cool the ice cream base to room temperature then strain it into a bowl. Set it aside.

Strain out the peach peels.

Puree half of the reserved peaches in a food processor until they are smooth. Stir the pureed peaches and the chunked peaches into the milk mixture. Chill the ice cream base for at least 2 hours, then churn it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pour the chilled base into the ice cream maker.

When the mixture has thickened, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

Churn until thickened.

Celebrate National Peach Month with ice cream!

Homemade Peach Ice Cream is an August treat!  ~Linda

Peach Ice Cream Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ripe peaches
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 large egg yolks

Directions:

Wash & dry the peaches.  Peel, pit & chunk the peaches, reserving the peels.  Combine the peach chunks with the lemon juice & 2 tablespoons of sugar, then set them aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, vanilla, and the peach peels.  Cook the mixture, stirring, over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Do not boil! Remove the mixture from the heat.

Place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisking constantly, pour in 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture, continuing to whisk until the mixture is smooth. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan, whisking constantly. When it is smooth, place the saucepan back over medium heat and stir the mixture constantly until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 6-8 minutes.  The mixture should never boil.

Cool the ice cream base to room temperature then strain it into a bowl. Set it aside.

Puree half of the reserved peaches in a food processor until they are smooth. Stir the pureed peaches and the chunked peaches into the milk mixture. Chill the ice cream base for at least 2 hours, then churn it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the mixture has thickened, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.