Do you have 5 gallons of blueberries you’re not sure what to do with? No? Just us then. Every year my husband buys more and more blueberries from the farmers market and every year we look for new blueberry recipes to use said berries. Fortunately, this year we were inspired just as blueberry season was ramping up. My husband had eaten a dessert of vanilla ice-cream swirled with watermelon sorbet at one of our favorite restaurants and decided a blueberry sorbet vanilla ice-cream version would be perfect for summer.
He consulted his favorite ice-cream book and found an easy blueberry sorbet recipe that he could then swirl with some (store-bought) vanilla ice-cream to get the effect he wanted. Unless you have two ice-cream freezers or a fancy ice-cream maker that can do two batches at the same time, using a premium store-bought vanilla ice-cream is much easier than churning your own in this case.
When swirling the the two flavors together, be sure that both flavors are about the same consistency or they won’t stir into each other. They need to be thick but not frozen (or melted obviously).
Regarding the amount of swirling – my husband and I disagree on this matter. I like to have the distinct layers of blueberry and vanilla so I layer the two flavors in a freezer-safe container and then run a knife through to swirl. My husband prefers a more uniform consistency in the final ice-cream so he prefers to gently fold the blueberry sorbet and vanilla ice-cream together before transferring to a freezer-safe container.
I say go with whatever is easier for you. It’s summer after all.
Blueberry Sorbet Vanilla Ice-cream Swirl
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes (plus chilling and freezing time)
- Yield: 2 quarts 1x
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 to 3-1/2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and picked over for stems and leaves
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 quart vanilla ice-cream (I use Haagen-Dazs)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves; set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, puree the blueberries until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and skins. In a medium bowl, stir together the blueberry puree, sugar mixture, and lemon juice. Cool mixture to room temperature and then chill in refrigerator until the mixture is very cold (2-3 hours or overnight).
- When ready to make the sorbet, transfer the blueberry mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the sorbet is almost done freezing (about the consistency of granita), prep the vanilla ice-cream. Remove the vanilla ice-cream from the freezer and scoop it into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the ice-cream on VERY LOW heat for 10-20 seconds. With a large spoon, break up the ice-cream into large chunks, stirring it until it is the consistency of thick cake batter (returning the ice-cream to the microwave as necessary to help soften it).
- Spread a thin layer of vanilla ice-cream in the bottom of a freezer-safe container. Then spread a thin layer of blueberry sorbet over the vanilla ice-cream. Repeat with the remaining blueberry sorbet and vanilla ice-cream. Occasionally tap the bottom of the pan against the counter to remove any air pockets and run a thin knife through the layers to gently swirl them together. Cover and freeze until firm, 3 to 4 hours, before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Ice-Cream by Mable & Gar Hoffman.
For a more uniform consistency in the final ice-cream, you can also gently fold the blueberry sorbet into the vanilla ice-cream being careful not to over mix.
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