Homemade Peach Ice Cream from Angie

Nothing Says Summer Like Homemade Peach Ice Cream
(with optional Coconut Crunch Topping)


This post is my 28th "Contributing Angel" post (Thank you  again to my friend Angel for allowing me to contribute to your amazing blog!)


Peaches are so summery and since we have had an extremely hot summer, I decided to share with you my Peach Ice Cream Recipe (optional Coconut Crunch Topping at the end of this post also).

Many people dislike eating peach skins because of the fuzzy texture but peach skins are so full of flavor - so in this recipe I make a peach juice from the skin that is then added into the ice cream.

Printable Recipe


 

Begin by making the Peach mash & Peach Skin Juice
4 peaches - rinsed, peeled (SAVE the peelings), discard the pit & mash the sliced peaches with a potato masher (4 peaches should equal 1 cup mashed peaches)

peach peelings from the step above
1/2 cup water

In a medium saucepan bring the peach peelings and water to a boil and then turn down to a low simmer.  Simmer for about 20 minutes and then strain.  Add the peach juice to the peach mash (see the collage above).  Set the juice/mash aside until later.

 

Now continue onto making the custard.

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn starch

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 egg yolks

dash of sea salt

In a large mixing bowl combine the egg yolks & half of the sugar (1/2 cup sugar) - whisk together until the sugar is combined & the yolks are a little frothy (see top left picture) - set aside until later. 

In a saucepan combine the other half of the sugar (1/2 cup sugar), dash of salt and the corn starch.  Stir until mixed.  Now add the milk, whipping cream & vanilla extract (add this into the corn starch/sugar mixture).  Stir gently with a whisk making sure that there are no sugar/starch clumps.  Place this full saucepan on medium heat and stir gently all the time while cooking.  Continue cooking until this mixture starts to thicken - remove from heat (see picture above right). 

It's time to temper the egg yolk mixture.  Pour about 1/3 of the hot milk/cream mixture into the egg yolk/sugar mixture and whisk when adding the hot mixture.  Your eggs have now been tempered.  Now add the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot milk/cream mixture (stirring all the time).  Place back on medium/low heat and cook (stirring all the time) for about 2 to 3 minutes.



Allow the hot custard to rest for about 5 minutes.  Then strain through a sieve to get rid of any clumps of any kind.



Now it is time to add the peach juice/mash (the juice/mash that you had set aside from the first step).  See picture above.  Completely stir the juice/mash into the custard (see picture below).




Chill the custard in the fridge for at least 2 hours.



Process the chilled mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions



Serve, top with Coconut Crunch Topping (recipe below) or eat plain & ENJOY!

Coconut Crunch Topping
1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened & untoasted)

In a small frying pan, melt the butter on low heat - add the coconut and sauté just until light brown.  Add the brown sugar and cook only until the sugar has dissolved - it will become crunchy like candy when it cools.  VERY IMPORTANT - Just a few seconds too long and it will burn - be very careful & stir the entire time.

Allow topping to cool before adding to your ice cream & ENJOY!

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Jelly vs. Jam

Many people today do not know the difference between Jelly & Jam - this is most likely because not many people do their own preserving anymore.  Last month I talked about the Basics of canning and today I will be talking about the difference between Jelly & Jam in my 17th "Contributing Angel post" (Thank you  again to my friend Angel for allowing me to contribute to your amazing blog!)

Jelly

Jelly is made from juice or syrup that is initially boiled down & extracted from crushed fruit.  Therefore, you will not find any seeds in jelly making jelly the preferred choice for anyone with diverticulitis (or other intestinal issues)(again - I'm NOT a doctor - please see my disclaimer at the bottom of this post).  It is also the preferred choice for anyone with expensive dental work or dental issues.  This also means that making jelly has an extra step and takes a little longer to make than does jam.

A few Jelly Recipes from my blog

(click on each title to view the entire post):

Raspberry Jelly

Grape Jelly with Lime

Personally I prefer jam because it has a little more substance to it but both jelly & jam taste delicious - especially when homemade.  You can easily see the difference between jelly & jam in the picture below:


You can see the seeds and pieces of fruit in the jam on the right and the jelly on the left is clear with no bits of fruit.



Jam

Jam is made from crushed fruit and always has pieces of the fruit.  You can see parts of the cherries, peaches and seeds from the blueberries in the various jams shown above.  (The chunks of fruit have been cooked and are therefore spreadable).

A few Jelly Recipes from my blog

(click on each title to view the entire post):

Blueberry Jam

Peach Jam

Strawberry Mango Jam

Cherry Jam from Frozen Fruit

ENJOY!!

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The Basics of Canning

Have you noticed how expensive food is getting these days?  Whenever I say that it can't go any higher it does!  That's why learning to preserve your own food makes so much sense.  Even if you don't have the space to grow your own food it's still cheaper to buy fresh veggies & fruit from your local farmer's market when the produce is in season and therefore inexpensive.  Then, preserving this farm fresh produce will create savings in the off season.   Today I will be talking about the basics of canning in my 16th "Contributing Angel post" (Thank you  again to my friend Angel for allowing me to contribute to your amazing blog!)

Of course there will be an initial investment to purchase of the following canning supplies but they will last a lifetime (except for the lids - see below).  Often I have seen canning supplies at garage sales and they are sold for almost nothing or many times even free!

CANNING JAR SIZES

1.  Half Pint - 1 cup capacity.  Mostly used for jams and jellies. 
2.  Pint - 2 cup capacity.  Can be used for larger quantity jams and jellies but also used for salsas and relishes.
3.  Quart - 4 cup capacity.  Used for tomatoes, peaches, sauces, soups, juices.

Mason, Ball and Kerr are all good canning brand names.

There are also two different sizes of the jar top

1.  Regular

2.  Wide-Mouth



You will also need a large "Canner" or large stock pot used for sealing the jars after they have been filled with garden produce.  Above you will see two pictures:
"Water Bath Canner"  & a  "Pressure Canner"
 Most of the canning that I do is sealed in my "water bath Canner."

There are a few veggies/fruits that can only be pressure cooker canned - an example is green beans.



1.  Jar Lifter  - this handy utensil easily grips any scalding hot jar without any worries of burning yourself.  It is covered in rubber so you also don't have to worry about the jar slipping. 
2.  Canning Funnel - this funnel fits perfectly onto any regular or wide-mouth canning jar and allows you to pour whatever you are canning without wasting or spilling over the edge of the jar.  I prefer stainless steel but they are also available in plastic or aluminum.
3.  Rings - I reuse canning rings year after year - they end up lasting 5 - 10 years.  Throw away when you notice the inside of the ring getting rusty

4.  Lids - You MUST use a new lid everytime you are canning to ensure food safety.

5.  Magnetic Lid Remover - you can use a normal pair of cooking tongs but many times the lids will stick together and that never happens with this magnetic Lid Remover (it is also very inexpensive- only a couple of dollars).

Sterilizing Jars and Lids

Before filling your jars with whatever you are canning, the first thing to do is wash your jars in soapy water.  (My extra jars are stored in my garage so I always make sure that the dust, bugs and whatever else is washed off the jars). 

Next, boil your clean jars.  Some people only scald their jars before canning but I don't want to take any chances, so I boil my jars and lids for 5 minutes before canning.  (I always add a couple tablespoons of white vinegar to the boiling water - this helps keep the glass clear and this is also especially helpful if you have hard water).  Another way to sterilize your canning jars is to run them through the dishwasher and remove them just after the drying cycle when they are so hot that you can barely touch them.  I prefer using the boiling water method because you can do a few at a time and you don't have to wait the entire dishwashing cycle.

Then the jars are sterilized and they are ready for whatever produce you are canning.  I place the lids in the boiling water just before I begin filling the sterilized jars.  Once I have finished filling the jars then the lids are ready to be used.

"Raw Pack" vs "Hot Pack"

Now, here we are talking about "packing" our garden produce into Canning Jars and there are 2 different ways to do this.

1.  Raw Pack or Cold Pack is just what it sounds like it would be - placing your vegetables or fruits into your sterilized canning jars raw.  I want to be clear - these fruits & vegetables have been cleaned and any blemishes or wormy spots removed.  Examples of "raw pack canning" are pickles, green beans and whole tomatoes.

2.  Hot Pack is of course placing your garden produce into your sterilized canning jars after it has been cooked or lightly warmed (while it is still hot).  Now you are also able to "hot pack" pickles, green beans and whole tomatoes but I always do those 3 "raw pack."  Examples of only "hot pack" canning are: jams, jellies, tomato sauce and apple sauce.

There is a controversy as to whether "raw pack" is safe - I have been "raw packing" my pickles, green beans and whole tomatoes for decades and (thankfully) I have never had a problem.  But remember - even when "raw packing" there is always a boiling liquid brine that is poured over top of the cold vegetables/fruits.

Cleanliness is the key to safe canning!

ENJOY!!

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Growing Beans - Delicious Fun!

Summer is almost here and my garden is bursting with green!!  I've been craving garden fresh green beans lately so I thought "What a perfect topic for my 15th Contributing Angel post" (Thank you  again to my friend Angel for allowing me to contribute to your amazing blog!)

Beans are very easy to grow but first you must decide if you want to grow "bush beans" or "pole beans."  I made a pro & con chart below (please feel free to leave any other pros & cons in the comments below):

BEAN Type	PRO	CON
Bush beans	1.     Great taste (equal to the pole bean) 2.     Neat & tidy – it won’t get twisted around other plants	1.     It takes up more ground space than pole beans 2.     You must bend down or get on your knees to harvest
Pole beans	1.     Great taste (equal to the bush bean) 2.     A space saver because it climbs 3.     Easier on your back and knees when harvesting because you don’t have to bend down	1.     You must provide a fence or trellis for the pole bean to climb 2.     The can become wild looking & tangled

Bean Basics

It's perfectly fine if you are a beginner - no need to feel embarrassed and if you have any questions please ask in the comment section below - I'm always happy to help.

Here are a few basics: "Snapping Beans", Freezing Beans & Saving Seeds (click on each title to view the entire post):

Snapping Beans


Freezing Green Beans


Saving Bean Seeds


Bean Varieties

My favorite variety of bean is the "Italian Roma" - they are very large in size and might look tough but they are the most buttery tender bean out there.  Below are a few unique & fun bean varieties (click on each title to view the entire post):

Italian Roma Beans





Magic Purple Beans

I mixed some regular green beans in with the purple beans for contrast.

Lima-like Beans from Green Beans

Dragon Lingerie Beans


ENJOY!!

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5 Reasons To Preserve Your Own Food