Damson swirl ice cream unveiling!

It worked!

I don't actually know how long it took to set, as I only checked it once, about 2 hours after I made it and as it was only about half set then I didn't look again until pudding time tonight.

As with all home made ice creams it needed to be taken out of the freezer for 5 minutes before you try to scoop any out, as the set is really quite hard, but softens enough to scoop in a very short time.  I thought the texture, both to look at and to eat, was fantastic, especially considering that I didn't have to break up any ice crystals every few hours as you usually need to with a custard made base.  This was perfect, no ice crystals, a lovely creamy consistency and flavour, with the slightly sweet vanilla base cut through beautifully by the acidy fruitiness of the damson.

I intend to make my next batch (once this tub is finished) by swirling through the raspberry coulis which has been loitering in the freezer for far too long.  I think it will be an ideal use for it.

Here in the bowl, after scooping out, you get the lovely swirliness of the fruit patterning all the way through.  I could certainly get addicted to ice cream making by this method!

Well, back to considerations on the building works tomorrow.  And more log stacking! In this lovely dry weather I really ought to be wire brushing the front house wall in preparation for repainting those walls which haven't been sandblasted in order to protect them from the coming winter...but I'm struggling to choose the colour, and I still have all those apples to puree and Williams pears to bottle...