Prickly Pear Ice Cream
· 2 cups chopped mixed (wild) plums
· 2 cups washed prickly pear fruits
· ½ cup sugar
· 1 pint heavy cream or half-and-half
Place chopped plums in a small saucepan and barely cover with water. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes until tender; when done, remove from water.
Meanwhile, place prickly pear fruits in another saucepan, barely cover with water, and simmer until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer prickly pears to blender jar with just enough of the water to process. Blend, then strain through a fine strainer. Discard seeds.
Check strained juice to ensure no stickers have gone through the strainer. You should have about 1 cup of prickly pear nectar. If there is more, return the nectar to the saucepan and reduce to 1 cup.
Combine the prickly pear nectar and simmered plums in a blender jar and blend for a few minutes. Strain to remove any plum skins.
Return to saucepan, add sugar, and cook for a minute. Cool. Whisk in the cream or half-and-half and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
From: Cooking the Wild Southwest Delicious Recipes for Desert Plants
By Carolyn Niethammer
· 2 cups washed prickly pear fruits
· ½ cup sugar
· 1 pint heavy cream or half-and-half
Place chopped plums in a small saucepan and barely cover with water. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes until tender; when done, remove from water.
Meanwhile, place prickly pear fruits in another saucepan, barely cover with water, and simmer until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer prickly pears to blender jar with just enough of the water to process. Blend, then strain through a fine strainer. Discard seeds.
Check strained juice to ensure no stickers have gone through the strainer. You should have about 1 cup of prickly pear nectar. If there is more, return the nectar to the saucepan and reduce to 1 cup.
Combine the prickly pear nectar and simmered plums in a blender jar and blend for a few minutes. Strain to remove any plum skins.
Return to saucepan, add sugar, and cook for a minute. Cool. Whisk in the cream or half-and-half and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
From: Cooking the Wild Southwest Delicious Recipes for Desert Plants
By Carolyn Niethammer