Seasonal Gelato Recipe

Warm milk and cream

Combine whole milk, heavy cream, and half the granulated sugar (1 1/2 tbs) in a medium saucepan. Add the split vanilla bean (seeds scraped in) or vanilla extract. Warm over medium heat until the mixture is steaming and small bubbles appear at the edge (do not boil).

Whisk egg yolks

While milk is warming, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining granulated sugar (1 1/2 tbs) in a heatproof bowl until thickened and pale.

Temper yolks

Slowly pour about one cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cream, stirring constantly.

Cook custard

Cook the mixture over low-medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not boil.

Finish custard

Remove from heat. Stir in invert sugar (or corn syrup/honey) and fine sea salt. If you used a vanilla bean pod, remove and scrape any remaining seeds into the custard, then discard the pod.

Cool and chill

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container to remove any cooked bits. Cool slightly at room temperature (15–20 minutes), then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight until fully cold.

Prepare fruit

Wash, peel and remove stones/pits as appropriate for your chosen seasonal fruit. Chop into uniform pieces.

Macerate

Place the chopped fruit in a bowl with 2 tbs sugar and 1 tbs lemon juice. Let sit 10–20 minutes so juices release (longer for firmer fruit like apples or pears).

Cook if necessary

For delicate berries or ripe stone fruit you can purée raw. For firmer fruits (apples, pears, squash, persimmon) gently simmer the macerated fruit with 2 tbs water for 6–10 minutes until tender. Cool slightly.

Purée and strain

Blitz the fruit in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness/acid. If you want an ultra-smooth gelato swirl, pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds or fibers. Chill the purée until cold.

Churn base

Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, pour it into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions (typically 20–30 minutes) until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.

Fold in purée

If making a uniformly flavored gelato: add a portion of the cold fruit purée (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups, depending on desired intensity) into the custard during the last 3–5 minutes of churning so it incorporates evenly. For a swirled effect: transfer half the churned gelato into a shallow, freezer-safe container, spoon half the purée over it in ribbons, gently fold once or twice, then add the rest of gelato and remaining purée in layers creating ribbons without fully blending.

Add mix-ins

If using toasted nuts or cookie crumble, fold them into the gelato now (reserve a few for topping).

Harden

Smooth the top, cover the surface with parchment or plastic to minimize ice crystals, and freeze for at least 4 hours to firm to scoopable texture.

Finish and serve

When ready to serve, let the gelato sit at room temperature 5–8 minutes to soften slightly. Scoop into bowls or cones, finish with a sprinkle of citrus zest or grated dark chocolate and a few sea salt flakes and reserved nuts or crumble.