Lemon or Lime Ice Cream

Total Time
25 minutes, plus several hours’ cooling, chilling and freezing
Rating
4(59)
Notes
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Ingredients

Yield:About 1½ pints
  • Zest of 4 lemons or limes, plus juice of 1 lemon or lime
  • cup sugar
  • 2cups heavy cream
  • 1cup whole milk
  • teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6large egg yolks
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

225 calories; 18 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 53 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a food processor, pulse together zest of 3 lemons or limes with granulated sugar until smooth and brightly colored.

  2. Step 2

    In a small pot, simmer heavy cream, milk, citrus sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.

  3. Step 3

    Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from heat and allow custard to steep for 30 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the juice and zest of the remaining lemon or lime. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

  5. Step 5

    Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

Ratings

4 out of 5
59 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Lemon ice cream is one of my favorite flavors--and this is my go to recipe. The only change is to use the lemon juice from ALL FOUR lemons, which makes the custard tangy and delicious. If you follow the recipe and use juice from only one lemon, the custard will be fragrant but lacking. Highly recommended!

agreed, mine needed the juice of 4 limes, 1 wasn't enough. Also, added some graham cracker crumbs, after the churning, for a Key Lime Pie flavor.

I just made this with the juice of 1 1/2 limes (they were very juicy) and it turned out great! My only problem was that our Cuisinart ice cream maker had difficulty freezing it (even to soft-serve consistency). I've used the machine before but never with a base with SO many yolks - maybe that was the problem? Anyway, would recommend this if you have a high-end ice-cream maker!

Used the zest of five limes in the sugar (one Bearss and the rest from my Mom’s tree, hence unknowable variety), and the juice of four of those limes in the custard.

A little more complicated than I usually choose for an ice cream recipe but so good! Make this ahead - we thought the tartness came out a little more on day two and the texture creamy and mmmmm!

The egg flavor was a bit too prominent. I think if I make this again I would cut back on the egg yolk.

For Chris S, who asked about what went wrong: perhaps the custard never reached 170*F, or you were expecting something thicker. This will not be really thick; instead, the texture will be more like the difference between water and oil. If you stir constantly while it’s cooking you’ll notice a gradual difference as it heats. If you don’t have a thermometer, the signs to look for are this subtle thickening, a noticeable amount of steam rising, and it will cling to a wooden (not silicone) spoon.

Stirred the custard for 20 mins and still didn’t thicken - what am I doing wrong?

A little more complicated than I usually choose for an ice cream recipe but so good! Make this ahead - we thought the tartness came out a little more on day two and the texture creamy and mmmmm!

Used the zest of five limes in the sugar (one Bearss and the rest from my Mom’s tree, hence unknowable variety), and the juice of four of those limes in the custard.

I add crumbled-up lemon bar after churning....yum!

I just made this with the juice of 1 1/2 limes (they were very juicy) and it turned out great! My only problem was that our Cuisinart ice cream maker had difficulty freezing it (even to soft-serve consistency). I've used the machine before but never with a base with SO many yolks - maybe that was the problem? Anyway, would recommend this if you have a high-end ice-cream maker!

agreed, mine needed the juice of 4 limes, 1 wasn't enough. Also, added some graham cracker crumbs, after the churning, for a Key Lime Pie flavor.

Lemon ice cream is one of my favorite flavors--and this is my go to recipe. The only change is to use the lemon juice from ALL FOUR lemons, which makes the custard tangy and delicious. If you follow the recipe and use juice from only one lemon, the custard will be fragrant but lacking. Highly recommended!

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