When I was a child, Peach Ice Cream was a favorite on hot sunny days. The sweetness of the ice cream combined with the refreshing tartness of the peaches always hit the spot during the dog days of summer. So, when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for Peach Ice Cream, I decided to give it a try.
This Peach Ice Cream recipe is a winner. The ice cream was easy to make, and it had a lovely peach flavor. It tasted just like I remember, and made a recent hot day seem just a little cooler.
Here is the original recipe:
I used a small automatic electric ice cream maker to make this recipe, so I halved the recipe when I updated it. If a large ice cream freezer is used, the amounts in the original recipe should be used.
I was concerned that the peach slices might discolor and begin to turn brownish while they sat after the sugar was added; so, even though the recipe didn’t call for it, I also stirred in a little lemon juice.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Peach Ice Cream
2 cups ripe peaches, peeled and slices
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups half and half
Step 1. Put peach slices, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl; stir to mix ingredients. Let sit for 1/2 hour – 1 hour.
Step 2. Thoroughly mash the peaches. A potato masher can be used to mash the peaches into very small pieces, or the peaches can be briefly pulsed in a blender or food processor. (There should not be large peach chunks or they will harden like ice cubes in the ice cream; conversely, the peaches should not be totally liquified.)
Step 3. Put the mashed peach mixture and the half and half in a bowl; stir to combine. Thoroughly chill the mixture in the refrigerator.
Step 4. Put the chilled mixture in ice cream freezer, and freeze following freezer directions.
My dad used to make peach sundaes at his soda shop. They were always a hit.