THE ITALIAN WAY TO ICE CREAM
With fresh strawberries, milk, heavy cream, sugar, and cornstarch.
This is our Italian Way to Ice Cream because we use cornstarch to thicken the ice cream mixture, often used to make homemade Italian gelato. It is the kind of ice cream which is refreshing and cooling, with a full-bodied mouthfeel. It is also firm and resistant to melting, making it the perfect ice cream in summer when the weather is hot.
In this strawberry ice cream recipe, we briefly cook the strawberries -just enough to thicken their juices. It is bright in colour, full of strawberry flavour and has the perfect texture to fill these popsicle moulds.
3 more ways to make this strawberry ice cream:
Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.
This is a quick overview of the recipe. If you are new to ice cream making, do read the recipe before proceeding.
Cut the strawberries in pieces.
Whisk the cornstarch with the sugar in a saucepan.
Add the strawberries and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. It will slightly thicken.
Pour into a bowl and let it cool down.
Place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours; or until completely cold.
Blend adding gradually: first, the strawberries until smooth; then add their syrup, finally, add the milk & cream.
Churn the blended ice cream mixture until fluffed up and creamy.
Put it in the freezer for a few hours to set.
As soon as it sets, you can either serve it from the ice cream maker bowl or transfer to a container and store it in the freezer.
Frozen strawberries should be defrosted and at room temperature before using in the recipe. Keep any water they release during thawing; it is part of the recipe.
When making ice cream we recommend weighing all the ingredients, even the liquid ones. Whenever possible, prefer to weigh any liquid ingredients directly into the bowl/pan as you proceed with the recipe instead of transferring them from one bowl to another because this transfer causes a small -but unwanted- loss of quantity.
If you do not have a kitchen scale, follow these guidelines:
• 1 cup (US) = 237 ml | 1 Tbs. = 15 ml
• strawberries: measuring the strawberries in a cup is not recommended because the results vary depending on the size of the strawberries. If you do not have a scale, you can have them weighted at the grocery store, or estimate how many you need from the net weight, as given on the packaging
• sugar: measuring sugar in tablespoons is more accurate than measuring it in cups. Use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon (not a regular one); this is 13 gr of sugar. To measure correctly, each time you scoop the sugar, level it with the flat side of a knife.
• milk and cream: thoroughly scrape with a rubber spatula any residues left on the sides and bottom of the cup every time you measure something and empty it.
Note that the quantities in each measuring system (grams, ounces, and cups) in our recipes may not always be accurate conversions; any deviations in conversions you may notice do not affect the outcome.
This recipe makes a 1.2 litre/quart ice cream mixture (before churning), perfect for ice cream makers with a capacity of 1.5 and up to 2 litres/quarts (like Cuisinart ice cream makers).
If you need to scale the ice cream mixture up or down, use this ratio of the ingredients (in weight only):
strawberries 34.3% / milk 33.9% / heavy cream 15% / sugar 15.8 % / corn starch 1%
in desired total weight of ice cream mixture.
For example, if you want to make 1000 g of ice cream mixture, you need:
You can combine double cream with whole milk to make heavy cream for this recipe.
To make 175 g (6.2 oz) heavy cream, stir together:
The resulting heavy cream has 36% fat, perfect for this ice cream. Proceed with the recipe just as if you had the 175 g (6.2 oz) heavy cream needed.
A flexible rubber spatula is good for:
-wiping the bottom of the saucepan when you cook dairy on the stovetop.
-scraping residues from bowls, saucepans etc.
If you do not have one, we strongly encourage you to buy one, preferably a flexible one.
The strawberries must be fridge-cold before blending and churning, so prepare them well in advance (approx. 8 hours before) to give them time to chill in the refrigerator.
If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.
Prepare the strawberries: cut the strawberries (400 g; 14.1 oz) into slices. No need to cut them very thin; just slice them to a thickness you feel comfortable with.
Stir the strawberries with the sugar and the cornstarch: in a medium saucepan, put the sugar (185 g; 6.5 oz) and the corn starch (2 tablespoons) and whisk to combine. Add the sliced strawberries and stir with a rubber spatula. Keep the spatula in the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, occasionally stirring with the spatula, until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries begin to release their water. Maintain a low temperature; notice that a thick syrup will begin to form.
Cook to thicken: increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Keep stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the saucepan with the spatula. When the strawberry pulp begins to bubble up, remove the saucepan from the heat, and pour the everything into a heatproof bowl, scraping along with the rubber spatula any residues from the saucepan.
Cool down: leave the strawberries to cool down for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Chill until completely cold: cover the bowl and put them in the refrigerator for 8 hours; or until completely cold. You can leave them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Blend the strawberries: pour all the strawberries and their juices in a blender jug. Blend until smooth.
Gradually add the cold heavy cream (175 g; 6.2 oz), blending as you go.
Add the cold milk (395 g; 13.9 oz) and blend until it is a uniform pink colour with no streaks, stopping the blender and scraping the insides of the jug as needed.
Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Blend before churning: briefly blitz the ice cream mixture with an immersion blender, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula. This improves consistency and ensures a smooth, even texture.
Churn: with the machine running, pour the cold blended strawberry mixture through the canister and into the ice cream maker.
Leave to churn until fluffed up and creamy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
This ice cream mixture expands and becomes airy as it churns. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks smooth, creamy, and slightly wavy—similar to soft-serve ice cream. Churning time varies depending on your machine and can take anywhere from 30 to 70 minutes.
To check the texture, lift a spoonful. It should be thick enough to stay on the spoon, but still soft. If it looks too thin or starts melting immediately, it needs more time.
If you’re unsure, let it churn for 10 more minutes. Keep in mind that it won’t look like store-bought ice cream at this point—it will still be soft. It only becomes firm and scoopable after a few hours in the freezer.
Stop the machine once the mixture is thick and creamy. If you continue churning beyond that point, the mixture can start losing the air it has built up and may seize, resulting in a dense, heavy texture.
One important note: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop automatically after a fixed time, but that doesn’t always mean the ice cream is ready. If your machine stops and the mixture still looks too soft, simply restart it and continue churning until the texture improves.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· cover the ice cream bowl and place it in the freezer
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.
Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.
The setting time depends on the type of ice cream maker you’re using. Here are the general guidelines:
3–5 hours for machines with removable freezer bowls (these bowls must be pre-frozen before churning)
Under 1 hour for machines with built-in compressors and aluminum bowls
⚠️ Important: Ice cream in aluminum bowls sets quickly. Do not leave it for too long—once fully frozen, it can become extremely hard and difficult to remove without risking scratches to the bowl. Always monitor it closely.
To check if the ice cream is ready, aim for an internal temperature of –11°C (12°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, use this simple test:
Insert a round-tip knife all the way to the bottom of the ice cream:
✔ If it goes in smoothly but meets gentle resistance, it’s ready
✖ If it feels hard on top but soft underneath, it needs more time
✖ If it’s too firm to insert the knife, it’s over-frozen and likely too hard to scoop
If it’s over-frozen, don’t worry—head to the next section for how to bring it back to scoopable.
If the ice cream sits in the freezer in the removable freezer bowl for too long after it has set, it can become too hard to scoop or remove.
To make it scoopable again:
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the ice cream to soften gradually.
Here’s how long that may take:
4–10 hours for removable freezer bowls (pre-freeze models)
1–2 hours for aluminum bowls (from compressor ice cream makers)
Note: These times are approximate and may vary depending on your fridge and the amount of ice cream. Check the texture occasionally as it softens.
Once the ice cream is soft enough to scoop—or its internal temperature reads approximately –11°C (12°F)—you can:
✔ Transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer
✔ Or serve it directly from the bowl
Just be sure to avoid digging into an over-frozen bowl with hard utensils, especially if using a nonstick-coated or aluminum bowl.
Straight after churning, the ice cream has a soft-serve consistency and melts almost instantly on contact. At this stage, it’s too soft to serve neatly or transfer easily—it’s simply too messy to handle.
Freezing the ice cream immediately after churning allows it to set properly. This step brings it to the right texture: scoopable, stable, and easy to portion or transfer into a storage container.
It’s the final step that turns churned ice cream into finished ice cream.
Storing: Transfer the finished ice cream to a lidded container and store it in the freezer for up to one month.
Cover it well to protect it from absorbing any unwanted freezer smells.
Scooping: Like all artisanal-style ice creams, this one freezes hard over time.
To make it scoopable again, place the container in the refrigerator for 45–60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about –11°C (12°F).
Once softened, it’ll scoop cleanly and serve beautifully.
2 Responses
Hello! I’m deciding on whether to make the cornstarch version of strawberry ice cream or the French version. I’m curious why you cook the strawberries in the cornstarch version but not in the other versions.
Thank you!
Since my goal with the cornstarch versions is to use as little heavy cream as possible, I cook the strawberries to drive off some of their extra water—otherwise the ice cream could turn icy. This does compromise the flavor a little, since I prefer fresh strawberries over cooked, but reducing the water is necessary here to get the right texture. In the French (egg yolk) version, there’s already plenty of cream and yolks to provide creaminess and stability, so I leave the strawberries fresh, which I personally prefer for flavor. I could have reduced the cream in this version too, but I like keeping it higher to let the strawberry flavor stay fresh and vibrant.