Blueberry & Cherry Ice Creams

This season of Karen-inspired eating really begins with the dessert I made for her memorial service: cherry and blueberry ice creams. The day before the service, we stopped at the farmers' market at the Rutgers Gardens in search of fruit. The only fruits available at any of the stands were cherries and blueberries, so we bought two containers of each. Each container held about one pint of fruit, so I had four pints total to work with . . . minus the few cherries and blueberries that were sacrificed to me and P. We just, y'know, had to make sure they would pass muster. And they did!

Once at home, I decided I would make one batch of blueberry ice cream and one batch of cherry ice cream. Each batch made 3 quarts of ice cream, so there was plenty to bring with us the next day!

Blueberry ice cream on top, barely visible cherry ice cream on the bottom.

Blueberry Ice Cream

• 2 pints blueberries
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 5 cups non-dairy milk
• 4 tbsp tapioca starch
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• stevia to taste (optional)

Cook the blueberries, lemon juice, and stevia (if using -- I didn't use any!) over low-heat in a saucepot until the berries start bursting and creating juiciness. Add four cups of the non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk creamer). Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.

While the mixture is boiling, whisk the tapioca starch with the remaining cup of non-dairy milk (I used plain soy milk for the last cup) until it is well-dissolved. When the mixture is removed from the heat, whisk in the tapioca-and-s'milk slurry. Mix in the vanilla, then set aside to chill. Freeze according to ice cream machine's instructions.

Blueberry closeup.

Cherry Ice Cream

• 2 pints cherries, pitted and chopped
• 5 cups non-dairy milk
• 4 tbsp tapioca starch
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract (optional)
• stevia to taste (optional)

Once the cherries are chopped, cook with stevia (if using -- I used about 1 tsp) over low-heat in a saucepot until they get juicy. Add four cups of the non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk creamer). Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.

While the milk and cherries are boiling, whisk the tapioca starch with the remaining cup of non-dairy milk (I used plain soy milk for the last cup) until it is well-dissolved. When the mixture is removed from the heat, whisk in the tapioca-and-s'milk slurry. Mix in the extracts, then set aside to chill. Freeze according to ice cream machine's instructions.