Cantaloupe Frozen Custard

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: African American, North American, Soul Food

Keyword: cantaloupe, frozen custard, ice cream

Prep Time: 35

Cook Time: 25

macerating, cooling, and freezing: 16

Total Time: 17

Servings:

Calories: 334kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

Cantaloupe Frozen Custard is a dessert of fresh cantaloupe melon shredded and churned in a rich egg and dairy custard base.

The total prep time includes inactive prep for macerating the cantaloupe, aging and freezing the custard for best results. Begin a day ahead of when you plan to serve it.

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Equipment

box grater
saucier or pot with sloped sides
electric hand mixer with whisk attachment
ice cream machine
2 1-quart ice cream containers

Ingredients

4 pound (1.8 kilogram) cantaloupe melon
1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) whole milk
1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt optional
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar separated
6 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger optional
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 milliliters) vanilla extract

Instructions

Shred, Then Macerate the Cantaloupe

Use a large knife to remove the rind from the cantaloupe.
Cut the melon in half and use a wide spoon to scrape out the white seeds and stringy insides of the melon.
Cut the fruit into 2-inch wide slices, then use a box grater to grate the melon into a medium bowl.
Add 1/2 cup (100 grams) of sugar to the shredded melon in the bowl and stir to combine.
Allow the fruit to macerate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably up to 12 hours.
You can leave it on the countertop or cover the bowl and refrigerate it during this time.

Strain the Cantaloupe To Make a Syrup

Strain the fruit from its juice by scooping half from the bowl and into a kitchen towel (or cheesecloth) placed inside a colander or fine-mesh sieve.
Allow the juice to drain naturally for 1 to 2 minutes, then gather the ends of the kitchen towel to twist it and squeeze out the remaining juice.
Squeeze out the juice from the remaining cantaloupe in the bowl until you have bone-dry shreds of melon.
Add these melon shreds to a small bowl and cover it. Store the shredded cantaloupe in the fridge until you churn the frozen custard.
Add the strained cantaloupe juice to a 2-quart pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
Simmer the juice until it has reduced by half.
Remove the pot from the stove once you have a cantaloupe syrup.
Pour the syrup into a separate bowl and allow it to cool while you prepare the custard base.

Make the Frozen Custard Base

Add the whole milk, heavy cream, and kosher salt to the pot you used to reduce the cantaloupe juice.
Bring this mixture up to steaming, stirring occasionally, over medium heat.
In a large bowl, whip the egg yolks, the remaining sugar, and the ground ginger together at medium speed using the whip attachment of an electric hand mixer or immersion blender.
Whip the egg-sugar mixture for 3 minutes or until pale yellow and thick.
Once the milk mixture in the pot begins to steam, reduce the heat to medium-low.
Use a ladle to scoop up a cup of the hot mixture. Trickle the hot liquid into the whipped egg mixture, stirring constantly with the whisk to temper the eggs.
Return the tempered egg mixture to the pot in the same manner. Whisk constantly to avoid curdling the custard.
Continue cooking the milk mixture, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of a rubber spatula or spoon.
Use the whisk to stir the vanilla extract and cantaloupe syrup you made earlier into the custard.

Age, Then Churn the Cantaloupe Frozen Custard

Transfer the cantaloupe custard to a bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Once it's cool, cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate the mixture for 12 hours or overnight to age it.
Just before churning the cantaloupe frozen custard base, stir it well.
Pour the base into the frozen bowl of an ice cream maker and set the machine to "Ice Cream" if it has that setting.
Churn the cantaloupe frozen custard for 10 minutes.
Add the shredded cantaloupe in small amounts (about a tablespoon) to the machine as it churns once the custard is slightly frozen.
Once all of the shredded cantaloupe has been added, continue churning the custard until it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream or about 20 minutes.

Freeze the Churned Cantaloupe Frozen Custard

Scrape the cantaloupe frozen custard into two 1-quart ice cream containers once it's the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
Cover the containers and freeze the custard upside-down for at least 4 hours.
Scoop the frozen custard with an ice cream scoop dipped in warm water and shaken dry.
Ensure you return your containers of frozen custard to the freezer right after you scoop what you plan to eat.
Serve cantaloupe frozen custard is on its own, scooped on top of slices of pound cakes, pies, or sandwiched between cookies.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

Swap the cantaloupe with honeydew or a similar melon. Avoid watermelon, which contains too much water.
Replace the heavy cream with more whole milk for a lighter custard.
Omit the ground ginger.
Replace the ground ginger with ground cinnamon.
Use pre-cut cantaloupe from the produce section and grate it in your food processor with the grater blade.

Tips and Techniques:

To pick the perfect cantaloupe, look for a melon that is tan in appearance and emits a musky, sweet smell when you sniff its flower end (or belly button).
Avoid cantaloupes with green rinds, those that are very firm, and melons with brown or mushy spots when you press them.
Macerating is a technique that draws out the fruit's natural juices, which you can later use to add more flavor to the frozen custard or ice cream.
Macerate your fruit for at least 30 minutes for the most flavorful results, though overnight is best. The longer the fruit macerates, the more juice you'll extract from it and the more concentrated the flavor will be.
Tempering eggs acclimates them to the hot liquid, preventing the mixture from curdling later.
You can churn the custard base after chilling it in an ice bath for 4 hours, but the results won't be as remarkable as when its aged overnight.
This recipe makes 1 1/4 quarts of cantaloupe frozen custard, so you won't fill both containers.
Freezing the custard after churning allows it to set up properly so you don't end up with frozen goo.

Storage Instructions:

Store cantaloupe frozen custard in the freezer for six weeks.
Return the containers of frozen custard to the freezer immediately after scooping from them to prevent melting and the formation of ice crystals.
Remember to store your ice cream containers upside down in the freezer, which prevents ice crystals from forming on the surface causing freezer burn.
Cantaloupe frozen custard that smells off, has a grainy consistency, or has large chunks of ice crystals on its surface has spoiled and should be discarded.

Nutrition