This came from one of those panic moments of dad husbandry. I was home alone and nothing much to do. I'd made elderflower syrup the week before which wasn't great to drink (too much stem and not enough lemon since you ask) but was still very fragrant and I was surrounded by a wild strawberry crop creeping over the garden.
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| Wild? I was livid... |
Our cultivated strawberry growing attempt was a disaster this year, with slugs, deer and especially squirrels leaving nothing for us. Apart from a shoot to kill water pistol/squirrel policy, it's left me convinced wild strawberries are the way to go. They grow with very little help in our garden and provide the kind of ground cover Forest Gardeners love. The only downside for us is that Miggins (Eliza's latest nick name) can't stop eating them. She doesn't care if they're ripe or stems still attached, she just grabs them and grabs them.
So, it was great to find a single use for them we can all enjoy!
Ice Cream Ingredients:
- A couple of handfuls of wild strawberries.
- One tablespoon elderflower cordial.
- 250ml double cream.
- 120g caster sugar.
- Juice of one healthy lemon
- An ice cream maker or a box in the freezer and a fork.
Obviously better with home made elderflower cordial. Heat 750ml water and stir in 400g caster sugar. Once sugar dissolved, leave until tepid then add juice and zest of 1 lemon and 10 heads of elderflowers (with stalk removed). Leave for 24 hrs then strain and bottle. Add 1 tsp citric acid to help colour and shelf life if needed. OK, back to the ice cream...
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| All churned up. |
Whiz cream, sugar and lemon juice in a blender - enough to smooth it out without whipping the cream. Add the elderflower cordial to taste. You're adding flavour and sugar with this, so go slowly. You'll want the unfrozen mixture to be slightly sweeter/punchier than you like and it will calm down when frozen.
Pour this mixture into your chosen ice cream device and start to churn. About half way through, once the mixture has got thicker, tumble in your wild strawberries and complete the churning.
Freeze for at least a few hours before eating. Mine is in the freezer waiting. I haven't told the kids yet. The combination of lemon, elderflower, cream and strawberry mini-bombs is awful.
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| More Strawberries! |
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