[Cheviot]

Hi,
I would like to use some of my lemon balm in a ice cream, I have looked at recipes online and they are all for ice cream made with cream that you have to heat and infuse the lemon balm before churning, the recipe I like to use has evaporated milk as the base, and you don't heat it, I am unsure if just chopping the lemon balm and chucking it in will work or if I should infuse it in a small amount of sugar syrup which when cool could be added to the ice cream.
Anyone know if either of the methods would work ----- I'm being lazy by asking on here, but I'd hate to make a batch and find out it didn't work.
Regards,
Sue

[Greenerlife]

I am sure it would work, but you won't get the intensity of flavour that heating the milk and infusing the balm would achieve is my guess.  Sounds lovely though.

[shygirl]

maybe grind in a pestle and mortar and add a tiny bit of hot water/milk before adding to the recipe?

[Bramblecot]

Only just seen this.  Will go and look out my old recipe for mint ice cream which is much the same as lemon balm.  I'll be back later (off to watch my barn owls )

[Bramblecot]

Abbreviated recipe for mint ice cream, but I think lemon balm would work too.  Taken from Calendar Cookbook by Katie Stewart circa 1976
4oz caster sugar
1/4 pint water
1 teacup mint leaves , stripped from the stems
juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 pint double cream
Dissolve sugar in water and bring to boil.
Wash mint leaves, place in blender, then pour over hot syrup and blend briefly.  Leave until quite cold then strain into a basin.
Add strained juice of 1/2 lemon and stir in cream.  Whisk, and maybe add green food colouring ( ).
Then freeze as usual for ice cream.

So basically the method you would use  but substituting evap. for double cream.
From memory I think it was important to strain the syrup or you ended up with yucky bits of leaf