Goat’s Milk Ice Cream

This is a modification of a few recipes I have used in the past.  I don’t have a cream separator so I just use whole milk.  If you want a creamier consistency try replacing half the milk with cream (preferably raw local – try Sea Island Jersey milk and pour off your own cream).  The consistency is somewhat grainy, more like sherbet since it is iced milk not iced cream.  Thanks to the fellas at Roots Ice Cream (www.rootsicecream.com) for the inspiration – their basil ice cream is “da bomb”!

Goat’s Milk Lemon Basil Ice Cream

7 cups goat milk (or combo milk/cream)

½ cup lemon basil leaves (approx)

1 ¼ c sugar

8 lg egg yolks

¼ tsp salt

In a saucepan, heat milk and basil until scalding.  Remove from heat, cover and let steep 10 to 30 minutes.  Strain out and compost the leaves.

Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt (till frothy or at least smooth, glossy and well mixed).  Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking constantly.  Cook over medium heat till the mixture coats the back of a spoon (custard like – I found that the mixture was about to boil and still had not coated the spoon so you can modify this to “heat till nearly boiling, approx 20 min, stirring constantly”).  Remove from heat and chill thoroughly (several hours or overnight).  Freeze in an ice cream churn according to manufacturers directions.

We like to eat it as soon as it’s done, tastes like Trix cereal milk (yummy!).  If you have any left, freeze in a separate container for later use.  Please note that the “graininess” increases when you freeze it because there is more water in whole milk than cream and it crystallizes when frozen so it will be very hard when removed from the freezer.  I generally let it sit out a bit before serving to soften it and make it more scoop able.