Freeze Summer Fruits for Quick Milkshakes Anytime
Welcome back on Sunday for a column on how to prepare delicious food with minimal effort. This summer has flown by too quickly and it’s a shame that we can’t keep the best parts of it to enjoy the winter. Come to think of it, yes we can, and we don’t even need to do anything. My favorite part of the season is the incredible abundance of fruits and vegetables available locally. Here in New England, it’s blueberries, cherries, peaches, melons (yes, melons!) And strawberries. While you can get them all year round thanks to international trade, there is nothing better than strawberries from the vine. Personally, my favorite is not jelly, jam or compote, but milkshake. How does this even compare to berry conservation? With ice cube tray.
This is exactly what it sounds like. Ice cube tray, which I filled with various berries and covered with milk. And this is a blender containing ice cream and rum. Is it so far away with me?
Berries can be stored in the freezer for up to six months, and, surprisingly, milk too. Not only moo juice – almond and soy milk are great, as well as delicious chocolate milk. Just place the berries on trays and fill them with your favorite milk. Give them a few hours to freeze, then mix four cubes with two very healthy scoops of ice cream for a quick treat that will bring you back on those warmer days. There are a few things worth noting:
- You can use any ice cream of your choice, but make sure you buy ice cream and not frozen yogurt or “frozen desserts” . Real ice cream is higher in milk and fat than frozen dessert, which has more processed and questionable ingredients.
- Stick to vanilla ice cream or sugary cream. Chocolate is king all over the place, but the light aroma and vanilla color gives you a blank canvas on which to build something delicious.
- Soften the ice cream before removing the cubes from the freezer. It is better to wait 10 minutes on the counter than adding more liquid milk here, which can lead to stratification and get a thin, thick stirring.
- When the frozen milk heats up, it will run out and thin out your shake. Blend briefly at high speed for best textured results.
- If you’re adding alcohol, start with three ounces and gradually increase or decrease, depending on your preference.
Now that you think of a hundred million flavor combinations, here are a few of my favorites to get you started.
- Peaches ‘n’ Cream ‘n’ Bourbon: Yellow peaches add brightness and their sweetness is enhanced by buttery smoky bourbon.
- Blueberries and Honey: While both are good enough on their own, a splash of rum turns it into a daiquiri sensation.
- Banana Mama: Basically the only thing I drank on vacation was a mixture of strawberry and banana with rum and chocolate. Pour the chocolate syrup over two cups, then mix the fresh banana and golden rum into the shake base.
The possibilities are endless and there is no need to limit yourself to fruit on the trays. A little ghee, toffee chips, maple syrup, or toasted coconut are delicious additions, and paired with a little liqueur, they’re sure to transport you to a warmer spot this fall.