Black Cherry Ice Cream

Sadly, the season for fresh, ripe cherries is brief, so be sure to seek them out early. Once you’ve made a batch of this delectable ice cream, you’ll certainly want more, and possibly still have time to buy fresh cherries before the season is over!

INGREDIENTS | YIELD: 1 QUART
1 pound black cherries, pitted and chopped 2 teaspoons lemon juice
1¾ cups whole milk 2 cups heavy cream 4 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 drops almond extract

Pitting Cherries
Ever wondered where the term “It’s the pits” came from? You’ve obviously never pitted cherries by hand! Several great cherry-pitting devices are on the market, but if you prefer to go gadgetless, you still have options. You can halve each cherry with a sharp knife and remove the pit. Another option is to use a large sturdy drinking straw. Simply insert the straw through the cherry, capturing the pit. A small bit of cherry may be lost with this method, but it’s quick and easy and worth the loss.

1. Toss the chopped cherries with lemon juice and set aside.
2. In a medium to large saucepan, combine the milk and cream, and stir over medium heat.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with the sugar until thick and foamy. Once milk mixture is hot, temper the yolks by adding half of the mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan, and heat until thickened.
4. Add three-quarters of the reserved cherries to the saucepan, cook for 10 minutes, and then remove from heat. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then add vanilla and almond extracts.
5. Place mixture into a blender. Purée until smooth. Place in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled, about 5 hours or overnight.
6. Once chilled, add to ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions for freezing. Near the end of the freezing cycle, add remaining cherries and allow to mix.