Sweet and custard-like pawpaws are the perfect base for a rich, creamy, and flavorful ice cream. This ice cream is a lovely treat for those who love pawpaws.
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Pawpaw need no introduction to their fans, but not everyone is familiar with these fruits. Pawpaws are the largest edible tree fruit native to North America. They have a range in the eastern United States and we in western New York are on the edge of their range.
Pawpaws are a custard fruit and they are tropical and highly aromatic. They come into season in the fall. Their taste reminds people of banana, mango, pineapple, and even apple. You can read more about pawpaws in this article or in this terrific book.
Pawpaws are not found commercially as they are very perishable. However, people find them in the wild, at farmers' markets, perhaps a roadside stand, and small farms.
We currently have three pawpaw trees in our yard, but they have no started to bear fruit yet. We had our first tree flower this past spring, so hopefully fruit is in our near future. We were gifted this basket of pawpaws. The yellow and brown leaves in the photos are from our little trees.
Ice cream is something I've always wanted to try with pawpaws. Their creamy and custardy texture really lends them to an ice cream application. Pawpaws make a really rice, creamy, and very flavorful ice cream.
When I make ice cream, I use the ice cream maker attachment to my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. I have not used any other ice cream makers, so this is the only I am familiar with using. It works well for me and I like that it attaches to an appliance I already have. You can use whatever ice cream maker you have or prefer.
You can eat this ice cream right after you've churned it for a soft serve texture. Or, you can freeze it for several hours or overnight for a hard ice cream texture. Both are delicious and it's totally your preference. Since we had enough with this batch, we had it both ways.
To make this pawpaw ice cream you'll need to have about 5 or so medium to large very ripe pawpaws. This will depend on their variety, how many seeds they have, etc. to get to 1 cup of flesh. All skin and seeds need to be removed before consuming.
If you can get your hands on some pawpaws, I hope you will try out this pawpaw ice cream recipe. It's a lovely autumn time treat that tastes like the tropics.
Pawpaw Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup of pawpaw flesh
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare your ice cream maker ahead of time (e.g., making sure it is frozen).
- Place the pawpaw fruit and sugar in a blender and puree until smooth.
- Scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula. Add the milk and heavy cream. Process until smooth.
- Pour the ice cream base in a large glass measuring cup or a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight.
- Churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
- When the ice cream is churned, transfer it to a freezer safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Freeze for 2-3 hours for a soft serve ice cream, or overnight for a hard ice cream.
I hope you give this pawpaw ice cream a try! Let me know in the comments below.
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Check out these other pawpaw recipes:
Appalachian Pawpaw Muffins from Palatable Pastime
Wish I could taste some! Have never tried pawpaws...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe. I've just emailed my local nursery to see if they'll grow in garden zone 7b grow in
ReplyDelete