Fresh Ginger and Tangy Lemon Ice Cream




... and the winner is ....

Pille. Pille was actually the first one to comment on my last post and imagine my surprise (and to some extent horror), when it was the correct guess too. After that though I sat back and enjoyed reading your guesses.

So, Pille it seems you'll be getting mail from me again, good thing I still have your address ;-). All you now need to do is send me the name of the picture you would like and I'll rush it to the photo shop and get it developed for you. Congratulations!

To all of the others, I thank you for playing along and don't be discouraged I might do this again.


Now on to the dreamy ice cream. It certainly was Ginger Lemon ice cream and from none other than the newly crowned king of ice creams - David Lebovitz and his luscious The Perfect Scoop. I have been going through this incredible compilation of delicious ice creams and I cannot get over it. Each one tastes better than the one before!




Not long ago I wrote about ginger and its wonderful aromatic and healing effects it has on us humans. I love ginger. I love it in my tea, my food and even in desserts, but I had to admit I had never had ginger ice cream before. As soon as I saw David's "Fresh Ginger Ice Cream" I knew I had to change this and decided to give it a try. David recommends a few variations to this recipe and I picked the one that includes lemon zest. In my opinion, lemons and ginger go so perfectly together and combining them in an ice cream is soooo ingenious.

Lemons are aromatically fragrant citrus fruits. A perfect choice for Marta's new food event Fresh Produce of the Month.



Lemons

Greek Lemon Tree

A Greek Lemon Tree. Taken in Olympia on our vacation last year


Maybe not something one would snack on in between meals, but they certainly add a wonderful zingy flavor to any recipe. It's been known for its therapeutic properties for generations and is the basis of any home remedy. As a matter of fact Nero, who feared being poisoned, consumed a great deal of them!

Although lemons are available throughout the year, their peak season is around May, June and August.
Lemons contain powerful antioxidants that slow the aging process. Doctors often recommend lemon to fight a wide range of illnesses such as urinary infections, kidney stones, bronchitis, colds, constipation, heartburn and pyorrhea. Additionally, they are an excellent source of vitamin C, one of the most important antioxidants in nature. The juice of one lemon supplies 35% of the daily requirement of Vitamin C.

It is believed that lemons actually originated in the Northern Indian subcontinent. Trees came to Europe by way of Asia Minor and were first grown in Greece and then Italy. According to Greek Mythology, oranges and lemons were a symbol of fertility and love.

There are 47 known varieties of lemons. The two basic types are sweet and acid, which are more commercially available. These are either large Eureka or smooth-skinned Lisbon. I won't be listing all 47 lemons here but a few I have used and particularly like.

EUREKA LEMON
Eureka lemons are probably the most widely grown lemon variety in the world. It is a true 'bitter' lemon with a high juice and acid content. The fruits of this variety should be thin-skinned and virtually seedless.

LISBON LEMON
Lisbon lemons are of a better quality bitter lemon, than the Eureka type, with high juice and acid levels and thin skin.

MEYER LEMON
This very popular variety of 'lemon' is actually not a fact a true lemon at all. It is a natural hybrid between a lemon and either an orange or a mandarin. Therefore, it has a lower acidity level, reduced bitterness and softer internal texture.

FINO LEMON
Although the origins of the Fino Lemon are unsure, it is believed to be derived from an old Spanish variety. The fruit is of good quality, juicy with a thin rind and high acid levels.

FEMMINELLO OVALE
This is one of the oldest Italian varieties and one of my favorite types of lemons. It is of medium size and tender, juicy, very acid and of excellent quality. These fruits are available all year but mainly in late winter and spring.

Lemons come in a variety of shapes and sizes and colors. They can be very large or very small, with thick or thin, smooth or rough skin; but they all have one thing in common: their skin contains aromatic essential oils that are used in a variety of ways.

Selecting and Storing
Look for lemons that are thin-skinned since those with thicker peels will have less flesh and therefore be less juicy. Buy lemons that are fully yellow in color. Green tinges will give you a more acidic due to the fact that they are not fully ripened. Overmature fruits will be wrinkled, soft or have hard patches and dull coloring. Fresh lemons are available all year round.

Kept away from sunlight and at room temperature, lemons will last for up to a week. They can also be stored in the refrigerator crisper where they will keep for about four weeks.
Pour freshly squeezed lemon juice in ice cube trays until frozen, then place them them in plastic bags and store in the freezer. Dried lemon zest should be stored in a cool and dry place in an airtight glass container.

Tips & Tricks
  • Lemons will yield more juice when they are warm. A great way to get more juice is to place the lemons in a bowl of warm water for several minutes or roll them under the palm of your hand on a flat surface.
  • If your recipe calls for lemon zest, make sure that you use fruit that is organically grown. Most conventionally grown fruits will have pesticide residues on their skin. Wash and dry the lemon thoroughly. Use a zester, paring knife or vegetable peeler to remove the zest. Do not remove too much of the peel as the white pith underneath is bitter and should not be used. The zest can then be more finely chopped or diced if necessary.


Great lemon resources:
Hormel Foods - All About Lemons My tip
Wikipedia - Lemon



Music To My Ears


Timbaland ft. Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake - Give It To Me
I bet you'll be dancing to this while whisking away at the cream. I certainly was! Hottest trio in music biz at the moment.




GingerLemonIceCreamPREP


Ingredients

85 g fresh unpeeled ginger - thinly sliced
zest of 2 lemons
250 ml whole milk
500 ml heavy cream
150 g sugar
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks



Method

In a medium saucepan place the ginger slices and enough water to cover the ginger by about 2 cm and bring to a boil. Boil for approx. 2 minutes, then drain and discard the liquid.

In a blender or food processor, grind the sugar with the lemon zest.

Return the ginger slices to the saucepan, add the milk, 250 ml cream, lemon-sugar and a pinch of salt. Warm the mixture thoroughly, then cover and remove from heat. Allow to steep at room temperature for approx. an hour.

Rewarm the mixture, then remove the ginger slices with a slotted spoon and discard. In a separate bowl pour the remaining 250 ml cream and set a fine strainer on top.

In another separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Using a tablespoon add some of the warm ginger-lemon mixture into the yolks, whisk and then add another tablespoon of the warm mixture. Do this until the eggs have tempered, then gently pour in the remaining warm mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly. Then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Over a medium heat stir the mixture constantly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir. Do this until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer into the cream and stir well. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly - at least 6 hours if not overnight - in the refrigerator, then make the ice cream according the the instructions of your ice cream maker.

Serving idea:
Chop up some fresh strawberries and add a small dash of honey. Mix well and top the ice cream with a nice helping of strawberries.




GingerLemonIceCream04


Verdict

Tangy, zingy and refreshing. This is such a perfect dessert after a big meal. It works like a digestive and I am sure seconds are always allowed. I was unsure how my boys would take to the flavors of this ice-cream, but Soeren straight away loved the lemony refreshing flavor the ice cream offered. Tom was unsure with the first helping but by his second helping he too was raving about the combination. For my fellow Indians (and those who have tried it) to me, I found the flavors slightly reminded me of Kulfi. Just perfect.



Reminder!


A perfect reminder for you to send me your scrumptious ice-cream creations for July's MM - Scream For Ice Cream
Deadline is July 4th!








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23 comments:

  1. I wooon! I woon! I won! Hurray! I'll check out the Flickr photostream tonight with my beau and decide which prize do we want:)
    Now, somebody somewhere was offering that Perfect Scoop book as a prize for guessing something, I better go and check if I won that as well:) They promise a hot summer here, so it might become handy..

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  2. That ice cream looks amazing! And I really appreciate the info about the various types of lemons. We rarely see Meyer lemons, except in gourmet markets where they are quite expensive, and most of the other varieties just do not seem to make it to Rhode Island. But I'll keep looking....

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  3. ohhhhh....as I said I was pondering too much on the guesses...and missed the price...and the net was slow....so unfair...:(..:(((..

    anyway...congrats Pille for guessing it with just one line...

    meeta...the ice cream looks yummy...

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  4. I am so in love with this book. I have already made 3 recipes from it and all have turned out fabulous. I'm trying another this weekend!

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  5. meeta
    thats beautiful
    luv hte colors more than anything
    www.talimpu.com

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  6. Gorgeous pics. I love lemons and ginger together, so this ice cream calls to me. Thanks for the lemon info, too.

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  7. Beautiful!
    I can't believe that she got that on the first guess.
    Give us another chance!

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  8. The ice cream looks delish. Yum yum. Great combination ginger & lemon.

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  9. Ginger and lemon is one of my all-time favorite flavor combos. Could it get any better than ginger lemon ice cream? Wow, that looks delectable, Meeta!

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  10. The green bowl beautifully accents the lemony cream. One can see light green reflections on the ice-cream.. Can't take my eye off..

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  11. Hello! That looks absolutely delicious! What a nice combination of refreshing flavors! A summertime favorite!

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  12. The aroma must be sooooooo good. Congrats Pille!

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  13. I really have to fly somewhere out of this cold weather just for ice cream! Your ice cream looks excellent Meeta!

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  14. Wow! Sooo good!! I never had ginger and lemon ice cream, and I love making ice cream too! It's a really good idea to try. And I agree, the pictures are wonderful.
    Thank you so much for taking part to the event, and also for writing this really nice introduction on lemons!

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  15. Oh Meeta I missed this Guessing game. When I read your latest post announcing the winner I was like "What?... "When?...I guess the solution is to subscribe to your blog and thats just what I am going to do now. What a coincidence that my current post also involves ginger and lemon as the chief ingredients. I loved the icecream. I don't have a icecream maker though.

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  16. Meeta, I love the pictures, they are really awesome. Though I am a fairly new blogger I am definitely participating in this months MM....see you then.

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  17. So that's what I get for going without my computer for a couple of days...dang I missed the contest!
    Great informative post, as always ans luscious looking ice cream!

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  18. Well, i must say that the picture itself gave me an impression and a cool feel to eat the ice-cream. Those information really worth it and congrats to Pille as well.

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  19. What a gorgeous dish of ice cream. I bet the flavor was incredible.
    Congrats to Pille!

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  20. We have never tried to make ice-creams at home. But this one sounds (and looks) yummy and different from any ice-cream I have tasted!

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  21. Ah shucks... but I can't wait to play again! Your ice-cream sounds lovely Meeta - I just LOVE David's book, and could oogle over it for hours.

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  22. You all are fantastic! I am glad that many of you played along, those who did not - let's see when I feel playful again.

    Pille, once again congrats on the win. Let me know which one you've set your mind on.

    I thank you all for your comments. This was a fantastic ice-cream and I hope you too enjoy it as much as we did!

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  23. One of my most favorite cookies is two ginger cookies with a lemon creme sandwiched between them.. *swoon*

    So yep, you guessed it.. I would LOVE this ice cream! I'm keeping it for the day I get my maker! Thanks for sharing, sweetie =)

    xoxo

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Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hugs
Meeta