Ever read the back of an ice cream container? Some have a few simple ingredients while others are packed with additives. We're sharing a delish recipe for making your own ice cream with fresh ingredients - free from crazy preservatives, artificial flavors, and other unhealthy additives. Plus, you actually get health benefits from the Lemon and Basil Vitality essential oils. Sneaky.
The Benefit of Essential Oils
Why use Vitality essential oils over an extract or just the juice + herbs from the store? You'll have a brighter flavor than dried herbs and without the hassle of fresh herbs. Plus, the chemical constituents in the oils have therapeutic actions, supporting the health of your body - like your respiratory system - in ways that even eating pounds of fresh basil and lemons cannot.
And whenever you can avoid additives like calcium sulfate, polysorbate 80, magnesium hydroxide, potassium sorbate, and mono- or diglycerides the better. Our bodies were made to digest natural ingredients, so when we use synthetic or lab-made ingredients, our digestion is impacted; we can end up with skin irritations (one of our body's ways of communicating that it's not happy with our lifestyle choices), imbalanced blood sugar levels, and more.
That doesn't mean you need to give up your ice cream! Here's the scoop on a simple recipe you can use - made with real ingredients - whether you have an ice cream machine or not.
Hands-On Time: 10 Mins | Total Time: 6 Hours | Yield: Approx. 1 qt.
Ingredients
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (5-oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 (16-oz.) container fresh strawberries; tops removed, washed, and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 drop Basil Vitality essential oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 drops Lemon Vitality essential oil
Instructions
1. Whisk together dairy ingredients, sugar, salt, and essential oils; cover and chill 2 hours. At the end of the 2-hour wait time, pulse strawberries, basil, and lemon juice in a food processor 5 or 6 times or until finely chopped. Stir the strawberry mixture and essential oils into the chilled milk mixture. 2. Pour milk mixture into freezer container of a 1-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (Instructions and times will vary.) Remove container with ice cream from ice-cream maker, and freeze 30 minutes. 3. Transfer mixture to an airtight container or a loaf pan covered tightly with aluminum foil; freeze 3 to 4 hours or until firm. That's it!
4. Serve in your favorite cone, cup, or bowl, and garnish with a small basil or mint sprig and / or sliced strawberry.
Don't have an ice cream machine? We've got you covered with two options...
Non-Machine Instructions
1. In a large glass or metal bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the milk and sugar until the sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients* until combined. If your mixture isn’t cold, place in the refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes.
3. Choose which method you'd like to continue with below and follow those instructions.
*If you are using the Plastic Bag Method, DO NOT ADD IN your essential oils until you have removed the ice cream from the plastic bags. Inorganic materials (like plastic) and pure essential oils do not mix! If you're using the Freeze + Stir Method, go ahead and add in the oils before moving your mixture to your baking dish.
Continuing with the Freeze + Stir Method
1. Place the mixture in a deep stainless steel baking dish and freeze for about 45 minutes.
2. You'll see your mix begins to freeze near the edges and that is when you want to remove it from the freezer and stir it vigorously with a spatula.
3. Put it back in the freezer, checking it about every 30 minutes, stirring vigorously each time. (Using a hand-held mixer or blender can also be an easy way to stir things well and keep your ice cream smooth.)
Repeat this process for 2 to 3 hours, or until frozen.
Continuing with the Plastic Mag Method
1. Divide up the ice cream mixture in resealable quart-sized bags, squeezing out as much air as possible and sealing tightly.
2. Put each of those bags inside another quart bag, squeezing out as much air as possible and sealing tightly.
3. Take those bags and put them inside a gallon size resealable bag, filling the gallon bag with approx. 4 cups crushed ice, sprinkling the ice with 4 tablespoons of coarse salt. Squeeze out all the air and seal tightly.
4. Wrap the bag in a towel (or put gloves on) and shake the bag-of-bags vigorously, massaging the bag and making sure the ice is constantly surrounding the ice cream mixture. You'll need to shake it for about 5 to 8 minutes (or until the ice cream is frozen). The smoothness of your ice cream will be determined by how vigorously you shake your bag, so get a nice little arm and shoulder workout in while you make your treat.
5. Remove ice cream from plastic bags into a stainless steel bowl, mixing in your essential oils.
Are you looking for more information about how Basil Vitality or Lemon Vitality essential oils can benefit your health? Come be part of the discussion and learn alongside us in our incredible community!
When you invest in your wellness, you're not alone - we're here to walk alongside you as we grow in wellness, purpose, and abundance. Together, we'll help you find answers to your questions and build lasting relationships along the way.
We're here to pay it forward. A friend helped empower us and now we're here to share what we've learned so you can make the best choices for you and your family, too!
Start by claiming your free guide, like 7 Delicious Meals in 20 Minutes or Less. You can also head over to learn more about why it's important for us all to become educated consumers.
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