Peach goodness!

When someone gives you peaches… make ice cream! I went to the farmer’s market this week and came back with a box full of peaches, about 30 of them. Most of them were peeled, sliced, and directly into the freezer they went. They are there, patiently waiting to be consumed in smoothies and the like later on. The rest I kept in the counter, some were used in a crumble, others turned into ice cream; summer is by far my favorite time of the year!
The recipe today I got from the website “Epicurious”, which by the way is full of nice recipes. It is the perfect recipe to make with those sweet and ripe summer peaches; this ice cream is pure fresh fruit!
Peach Gelato is easy and simple to make, and since there is no cream or milk it has the added bonus of being a refreshing fat-free dessert.
We definitely enjoyed it here, however, it has to be served as the recipe states: immediately after being churned. Ours was nice and smooth, but the little bit we had leftover was icy after an hour or so, we even ended up tossing it, as it was definitely not edible anymore. I wonder if it had something to do with my freezer, or due to the small amount that I froze, because it didn’t look like a recipe that would end up that way to me.
Anyways, it was very tasty, and one of the “peachiest” (if this words exist, that is) desserts I have had!
Oh, and you can definitely try making it even if you don’t own an ice cream machine. Simply put the final mixture in a bowl and put in the freezer. Stir the mixture every 30 minutes, then every 20 minutes after it starts to freeze more solid. It may not be as smooth, but I am sure it will still taste good! (This is a method I used to make ice cream when I lived in Brazil and didn’t have my machine…)
A good summer treat, plus you get a full piece of fruit in every serving of gelato here! Nice, huh?!
Ana













Peach Gelato (adapted from epicurious)
¾ cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 pounds peaches (I didn’t actually measured, but used 8 peaches)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lightly beaten egg white

In a small heavy saucepan heat sugar and water, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool syrup. Peel and pit peaches and in a food processor purée until smooth. Transfer 2 cups purée to a bowl, reserving remainder for another use, and stir in syrup and lemon juice. Chill peach mixture until cold and up to 1 day.
Stir in egg white and freeze in an ice-cream maker. Serve gelato immediately or transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden no more than 3 hours.
Makes about 1 quart.