Fresh Fig Ice Cream Recipe - WonkyWonderful (2024)

FAQs

How to make fresh fig ice cream? ›

Freeze your freezer bowl.

This is the MOST IMPORTANT step. Your bowl must be 100% frozen solid. Give it a shake and if you hear any slushing of the liquid inside the walls of the bowl, it's not ready to use yet. If your bowl isn't totally frozen, your ice cream won't thicken and churn but remain soupy instead.

Ice cream is only as good as the ingredients used to make it. So if you can afford it, buy organic milk and cream and free-range eggs, making sure that everything is as fresh as can be. If you're adding flavorings or ingredients, such as chocolate, vanilla or fruit, spring for high-quality products.

Cornstarch: Often used in non-custard ice creams, cornstarch mixed with milk helps thicken the base and create a smooth mouthfeel. Gelatin: Adding a small amount of gelatin to the ice cream mixture improves texture by reducing ice crystal formation and creating a smoother consistency.

You can freeze figs whole or cut them in half or even quarters. Wash your figs before cutting or freezing whole, and make sure to dry them well. Lay figs out on a baking sheet in a single layer, and make sure the tray isn't too crowded.

Alkalinity breaks down the structure of plant cell walls. I assume the purpose of this baking soda bath is to soften the structure of the fig. That's why yours softened so much. If you want to maintain the structure of the fig, try using an acidic bath, as acidity helps to maintain plant cell structure.

The most common ones used in ice creams are guar gum, cellulose gum and carob bean gum. They are used to reduce ice crystal growth, deliver flavour cleanly, increase smoothness, body and creaminess and slow down melting. They also help hold the air bubble structure together and give the ice cream a better texture.

Sugar is a natural thickener that absorbs water and increases the viscosity of ice cream. After mixing sugar and fresh milk, and then adding other ingredients, solid ice cream can be quickly formed. This method is perfect for those who want to make a natural and healthy ice cream.

The ice cream will be soft after churning. For firmer ice cream, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours before serving.

If you have ever made ice cream, you already know what goes into it, ingredients such as milk, cream, and sugar. But there is one main ingredient that you may not have thought about, probably because you can't see it—air.

What is the best sugar for ice cream? ›

Most home ice cream recipes call for simple table sugar, which is chemically known as sucrose. But in pro kitchens you have more options. Liquid sugars like invert sugar, corn syrup, honey, and glucose syrup all add body, creaminess, and stability to ice cream, and a little goes a long way.

The eggs yolks serve as an emulsifier that binds the water (which comes from the milk) and milk fat into a creamy mixture, much like mayonnaise. This emulsion makes the ice cream thicker, creamier and slower to melt.

At its core ice cream is a successful emulsion of fat into water, sugar, and ice with air mixed into the batch. An emulsion is a mixture of two substances that typically separate (like oil and water). But, instead mix together to form the consistent creamy base used for ice cream. It's Science!

The three main ingredients you can use to thicken a soup are flour, cornstarch, and xantham gum.

Freezing Figs

Figs freeze well with or without sugar, peeled or unpeeled. They should be fully ripe for best flavor. Wash ripe figs thoroughly, remove stems, peel if desired, leave whole or cut in half.

You can easily freeze as many fresh figs as you like, depending on how much room you have in the freezer. Frozen fresh figs will keep up to several months.

Fresh figs can be frozen in a sealed bag or container for up to 6 months. There is no cooking or blanching required beforehand. However, they may be sweetened, cooked and puréed before freezing to serve as toppings for ice cream, puddings and other desserts.

Whole figs dehydrate better when their skins have been checked. Dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds followed by a plunge into ice water. This will weaken and damage the skins, allowing moisture to pass more freely. Fig slices will dehydrate faster, but slicing decreases the shelf life of dried figs.