Soursop is a fruit that grows all over the Caribbean and Latin America. It is widely used on the island, specifically in drinks. Soursop juice can be filed under unique Jamaican foods because of the way it is made. There are two methods that are traditionally used for the juice. Both include completely using the pulp either by blending or mashing and squeezing but the finished preparations are different. One type of soursop juice uses lime juice and cane sugar to finish it. The other method is finished with sweetened condensed milk, nutmeg and vanilla. The milky method is the flavor I tried to achieve with this ice cream.
Using the pulp:
I wanted to maximize the flavor of the soursop in the ice cream so I blended the fruit and used the entire thing minus the seeds in this ice cream. Using the pulp this way made the ice cream super flavorful just like the soursop fruit.
Ice cream base:
I used the same ice cream base that I generally use for other ice cream flavors. It is an egg and cream based custard that I find delicious and creamy enough to carry a great flavor like a soursop ice cream.
Flavor add ins:
To make this ice cream extra delicious, I added vanilla, nutmeg and rum to kick this up a notch and to make it similar to the drink.
Churning:
I used my ice-cream attachment to churn this ice-cream but for an easy no churn version, you can freeze the base instead of chilling it. Once it is frozen, blend it and return it to the freezer to set. This is a foolproof no-churn method for those of you who want to make this without an ice cream attachment or maker.
Ingredients
- 2 cups soursop pulp (1.5 lbs)
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 6 egg yolks
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsps white or dark rum
Instructions
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- Remove the skin of the soursop and discard it. Separate soursop flesh from the seeds and center spine. Discard the seeds and center spine. Blend the flesh of the soursop with about a ¼ cup of water until smooth. Transfer the blended pulp to a small bowl and cover with cling film. Place the film directly on top of the pulp to prevent it from oxidizing or changing color. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until the base of the ice cream is made.
- Gently warm 1½ cups of cream in a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, you can place the cream in a heat resistant bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Ensure that the water in the saucepan does not touch the bowl with the cream. Be careful to not let the cream boil.
- In a separate bowl, use a whisk to combine the egg yolks and both white and brown sugars. Whisk the yolks until pale and smooth.
- Gently whisk warm cream into the egg and sugar mixture in small amounts, about ½ cup at a time. It's important to keep whisking the cream so that the eggs don't cook or curdle.
- Once all of the warm cream is whisked into the eggs, return the egg mixture to the double boiler. Gently cook the custard for 7-10 minutes on the double boiler until it thickens or until it is the consistency of sweetened condensed milk. As the custard cooks, you will need to constantly whisk it so it cooks evenly without curdling.
- Transfer the cooked custard to a large mixing bowl. Add in the soursop pulp, remaining 1½ cups of cream, rum, vanilla and nutmeg. Whisk together until well combined. Cling film the custard and chill for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Remove the custard from the refrigerator and immediately add it to the ice cream maker. Churn by manufacturer's recommendation. For a kitchen aid ice cream attachment, I churned the cream for 25 minutes. Transfer the ice cream to a metal loaf pan and set in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
