Fresh strawberry ice cream made in a freezer canister is a summer institution — the kind of dessert that becomes a family tradition not just because of how it tastes, but because of the ritual around making it. Mary April’s recipe uses crushed fresh berries, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and a box of strawberry Jell-O, which deepens the berry flavor and gives the ice cream a beautiful pink color. The condensed milk keeps it creamy and rich; the whole milk fills out the canister and lightens the base. Ready in about half an hour and best eaten the moment the paddle stops turning.
Ingredients
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
4 c crushed fresh strawberries
1 box strawberry Jell-O (dry, unprepared)
2 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
½ gallon whole milk
Instructions
Crush the fresh strawberries and combine with the sugar. Let stand 10–15 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the berries release their juice.
In a large bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, strawberry mixture, dry Jell-O powder, and vanilla until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Pour the mixture into the freezer canister.
Add enough whole milk to fill the canister to the fill line (approximately ½ gallon).
Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions — approximately 30 minutes.
Serve immediately for soft-serve consistency, or pack and freeze for 1–2 hours for a firmer texture.
About the Jell-O: Use the dry powder straight from the packet — do not prepare it. It intensifies the strawberry flavor and gives the ice cream its signature pink color.
Also try:Pineapple Ice Cream — another freezer canister recipe from Mary April.
