Description
This Very Berry Ice is a refreshing, homemade frozen dessert bursting with the natural sweetness and tartness of summer berries. Using simple ingredients like fresh strawberries, caster sugar, and lemon juice, this recipe combines maceration and freezing techniques to create a light, snowy-textured treat perfect for cooling down on warm days.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit Mixture
- 750g summer berries (strawberries recommended)
- 140g caster sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
Additional
- 300ml boiling water
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit: Hull and chop the summer berries into smaller pieces, then place them in a large bowl.
- Macerate the fruit: Add the caster sugar and the juice of one lemon to the chopped berries. Pour 300ml of boiling water over the mixture. Stir gently, then allow the mixture to macerate until completely cool. This process softens the fruit and helps release its juices.
- Puree the mixture: Once cooled, transfer the fruit mixture to a food processor and blitz until completely smooth.
- Strain the puree: Push the smooth puree through a fine sieve to remove seeds and achieve a silky texture.
- Chill the tray: Place a sided metal tray in the freezer until it is thoroughly chilled.
- Freeze and scrape: Pour the sieved puree into the chilled tray and cover with cling film. Freeze until the edges are frozen and the center is slushy. Use a fork to break up the ice into small crystals, then return to the freezer. Repeat this scraping every 30 minutes at least three times until the mixture is fully frozen with a fluffy, snow-like texture.
- Optional quick method: Alternatively, pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze solid. Just before serving, blitz the ice cubes in the food processor to create a slushier, yet equally delicious, version of the berry ice.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh, ripe summer berries such as strawberries, raspberries, or a mix.
- Repeatedly breaking up the ice during freezing ensures a fine, fluffy texture rather than large ice chunks.
- The quick ice cube method is convenient but results in a slightly less fluffy texture.
- Adjust the sugar amount based on the sweetness of your berries.
- Make sure the metal tray is well chilled to speed up the freezing process and improve texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours (including freezing and repetitive scraping)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: International
Keywords: berry ice, frozen dessert, summer berries, healthy frozen treat, homemade ice, sorbet alternative
