Backyard Mint Ice Cream Recipe

Reader Contribution by Jeni Britton Bauer
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When I set out to make a fresh mint ice cream, I was looking for peppermint rather than spearmint. Peppermint is sweeter and more refreshing.

Through my search, I met Val Jorgensen, who owns a beautiful farm outside Columbus where she grows herbs, wildflowers, and pear trees; keeps bees; and raises sheep. Val and I worked together over several summers to find the perfect mint for our ice cream. We finally settled on a cool black peppermint with the strange official name of Robert Mitchum Mint. This varietal has a strong, sweet peppermint scent, and it also has a high concentration of oils, which are essential to a flavorful ice cream.

To flavor our Backyard Mint Ice Cream Recipe, we roughly tear mint leaves, then cold-soak them in the ice cream base overnight. Tearing the mint bruises the leaves and opens the oil pockets, releasing the scent into the cream. Don’t care for mint? You can substitute any fresh herb. Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:

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