Homemade Strawberry Gelato
Ah, GELATO! NO, it’s not ice cream! It’s gelato (pronounced gel-lot-o)! There is a difference. The taste, the texture, the way it coats your mouth! From the minute I had my first one in Italy oh so many years ago I’ve been hooked! Something about this creamy mixture just sends tingles over my spine. Love Love Love Love Love it!
I had the amazing pleasure of having a best friend in Italy whose parents owned a Bar/Gelatteria (& no, a bar in Italy, isn’t the same thing as a “bar” in the states). This was a definite perk! I loved hanging out there. Watching, learning, eating (yes lots of eating) & of course helping out!
So much love goes into making gelato (as with every other Italian food or beverage out there) The ingredients are always super fresh & you can really tell. There really is nothing like it. I hope one day everyone will get the opportunity to experience gelato in Italy, walking down a cozy street, taking in the atmosphere & licking the creamy goodness until it’s gone! But until then, here’s a recipe you can try at home!
If you want to omit the strawberries this is an ah-mazing Vanilla Bean Gelato on it’s on! See there, 2 recipes for the price of 1! Do I love y’all or what?
What you’ll need:
6 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean
1 cup + 2 tbsps of granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups of whole milk
2 - 0.32 oz (9g) packets of vanilla sugar - I use Dr. Oetker Original Vanilla Sugar
1 lb of fresh strawberries - blitzed in your food processor
What to do:
In a large saucepan over low - medium heat, add your milk & vanilla sugar. Stir. With a pairing knife, cut a slit down the the center of your vanilla bean. Carefully scrape out the vanilla seeds with the edge of your knife. Place the whole vanilla bean & seeds into the milk mixture. Continue to stir until milk is warmed completely through. You don’t want to boil the milk mixture. In a mixer, combine the sugar & egg yolks & beat with the paddle attachment until mixture is creamy. Slowly temper the egg mixture with the milk mixture (SLOWLY, you don’t want to end up with scrambled eggs). Once you have combined the mixtures, return combined mixture to sauce pan and continue to stir over low heat until mixture thickens. This could take a few minutes.
Once the mixture thoroughly coats the back of your wooden spoon, it is ready. Remove from heat and move pan into refrigerator to cool completely. This could take a few hours. Just before placing mixture into your ice cream/gelator maker, take your blitzed strawberry mixture and add it. Stir well. Place mixture into your ice cream/gelato maker and follow the instructions per your machine.
Tip: Save your vanilla bean allow it to completely dry out & place it into your sugar canister. It will lightly flavor your sugar with vanilla!
Buon Appetito!
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I think you’ve got a mistake in your recipe - it says (2) 32 oz. pkgs of vanilla sugar - that would be 4 lbs of sugar.
Looks delicious! I love gelato. Though I’ve never been to Italy to have one, darn it.
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I want to learn to make gelato!! Now I can. You pick an awesome flavor too. =) I love strawberries.
This sounds so delicious! I love gelato and strawberries, and I just got an ice cream maker. Can’t wait to try it.
I LOVE gelato! Thanks for the recipe!
beautiful pic!
YUMM!! I love gelato (pronounced “jay-lah-toe”), too! You could easily make your vanilla sugar with at least one vanilla bean emerged in sugar. I just keep my scraped-out vanilla bean in with all of my sugar and plan to keep adding more beans over time.
Do you find homemade gelato stands up over time in the freezer? My understanding is that it needs to be stored at a slightly higher temperature then normal ice cream or a home freezer provides. (Since it has a lower fat content.)
Thanks for the catch Juliann! I fixed it! Left out a decimal! That would have been some mighty sweet gelato
Thanks Mary! Hope you get there one day! It’s magical! Unlike any other place!
Thanks Jenn! I’m working on perfecting my Nutella inspired gelato & pistacchio next!
Hi Lisa! Yeah! I hope you love it as much I as do! Perfect to beat the heat with!
Thanks Jen! I LOVE it too! I had lots of little ones in the background waiting patiently for me to finish the photo shoot LOL!
I do the same thing! I left that tip at the bottom of the recipe! I just love how it gently flavors the sugar & I ADORE the smell of vanilla! A presto…
Ciao Katerina! Well to be honest mine very rarely makes it to the freezer LOL We’re quite fanatical about it! I have found that on the rare occasion when it does get to the freezer, I have to leave it out at room temperature to “thaw” a bit before enjoying. Hope that helps!
I just recently bought an ice cream attachment to my mixer and haven’t found a good recipe yet. I love this one especially since strawberries are so in season right now!
Sounds yummy! And I also love your page design…beautiful.
When I was a kid I used to go to a local gelato shop and pick up the lemon gelato and I was always overjoyed to find a lemon seed in my treat. Good homemade gelatos are great that way.
Where can i find the vanilla packets of sugar. I am in the States. Can we order then online? I think I would love the lemon too. That’s my favorite flavor. Maybe a recipe sometimes for lemon? Hint, hint.
Ciao Eve! I have purchased the vanilla packets in my World Market & have also seen them in upscale grocery markets! If you can’t find them you can just make your own vanilla sugar. I adore lemon & of course will have a limone recipe posted! Hope that helps!