Wild Blueberry Ice Cream ~ the very thought makes me crazy ~ but wait, it gets better, this luscious treat is made with sour cream instead of regular cream, for a unique tangy flavor you’ve just got to try.
my wild blueberry ice cream is a uniquely delicious recipe
I think one of the most compelling reasons to make your own ice cream to so you can make a flavor you can’t find anywhere else. Maybe you want to revisit a treasured favorite from your childhood, or just get your creative juices flowing and dream up your own custom flavor. I’ve never seen a wild blueberry ice cream, and even when we lived in Maine I can’t remember ever coming across one. But let me tell you, when you combine the wild berries with a base of sour cream you get something so uniquely wonderful you just have to taste it for yourself. My husband (aka hand model up there) especially loved this ice cream ~ and he claims he doesn’t even like berry ice creams, so I thought you should know.
what makes wild blueberries so different?
Anyone who loves blueberries knows that there’s no comparison between supermarket berries and the little wild ones. The little ones are ‘blueberrier’, for one thing. Their flavor is so much more intense, and they’re packed with more than double the amount of healthy antioxidants that blueberries are so famous for. But I realize that most of us can’t get near a wild blueberry bush, so this recipe is made with the next best thing: frozen wild blueberries. Look for them in the freezer section, I use Wyman’s.
wild blueberries vs cultivated berries
- wild blueberries taste way better, it’s that simple.
- they have more nutrients than regular blueberries, too.
- their lower water content means they freeze even better than regular blueberries.
- their (anthocyanin) pigments are more intense, meaning they are more colorful and more anti-oxidant rich than cultivated berries.
what you’ll need ~ just 4 ingredients!
This recipe is different because I use sour cream instead of heavy cream. The flavor of the berries with the tart tang of the sour cream is magical It makes a great dessert for serving to guests because, while it’s unusual and a conversation piece, it’s pretty much universally appealing ~ who doesn’t love blueberries and sour cream?
- wild blueberries ~ frozen is ok
- sour cream
- sugar
- lemon
frozen blueberries work just fine
- unless you happen to live in certain parts of the country, and unless it happens to be high summer, you’ll have a tough time finding fresh wild blueberries
- frozen berries can actually be fresher than fresh picked ~ how is that possible? Fresh picked berries have to be transported, packed, and transported a few more times before they arrive at your grocery store. Frozen berries are often flash frozen within 24 hours of being plucked from the bush.
- An added benefit of frozen ~ no fuzzy berries! Frozen berries don’t spoil before I can use them.
Which ice cream machine do I recommend?
I get asked all the time about what machine I use. I use and recommend Cuisinart. I’ve had my machine for years without any issues, I think because there are no fussy electronic parts to break down ~ it’s a simple motor that turns the freezer bowl for churning the ice cream and it works quickly and perfectly every time.
more homemade ice cream recipes
- Black Raspberry Ice Cream
- Honey Ice Cream Recipe
- Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream
- No Churn Bailey’s Ice Cream
- Manhattan Cocktail Ice Cream
- Fresh Lemon Ice Cream
Wild Blueberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups (heaping) fresh or frozen wild blueberries,
- 1 cup sugar
- 16 ounces sour cream
- juice of 1/2 lemon,, optional
Instructions
- Put the berries and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and cook for about 5 minutes, just until the berries have released juice and softened.
- Puree the mixture. I used my Vitamix blender for an extra smooth puree. Refrigerate the puree until chilled.
- Blend together the sour cream, the cold blueberry puree, and the lemon juice, if using, until completely smooth.
- Process the mixture in your ice cream machine, according to the manufacturer’s directions. Mine takes about 20 minutes to get to a soft serve stage.
- Spoon the soft ice cream into a loaf pan or plastic tub, cover tightly, and put in the freezer to firm up. I like to leave it for at least 5 to 6 hours.
Notes
- Blueberries and sour cream go so well together, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment ~ try other berries like raspberries or blackberries. You may want to strain the puree for seeds in some cases.
- I haven’t tried it myself, but I assume you could make this wild blueberry ice cream with light sour cream to cut fat and calories.
- If you want to forgo the cream altogether, consider a wild blueberry frozen yogurt ~ you can use my Concord grape frozen yogurt as a guide.
Nutrition
Don’t forget to pin this Wild Blueberry Ice Cream!
That purple colour! Just drooling over here. I’ve just received my new ice cream maker and was looking for a good recipe to try it out on. I think this may be the one!
Perfect colour for the most delicious ice-cream! Can wait to make some too.
I’m just drooling over your photos and how vibrant that ice cream is. Creamy, blueberry ice cream is always a winner in my books!
This color is just gorgeous! My husband loves blueberry so this is perfect for him!
Not only is this color stunning, but I want to grab that cone right off the screen and have myself a lick. I cannot wait to make this in my own kitchen. The whole family is sure to love it!
I’ll eat blueberries any which way — wild, domestic, whatever I can get. And In anything I can get. Love the looks of this — terrific color. And flavor, I’ll bet. Thanks!
That colour is stunning! And I’m loving the use of sour cream here. The combination with the blueberries must be fantastic 🙂 Trying this!
The sour cream was a last minute inspiration and it turned out super well, Jennifer ~ I hope you like it 🙂
I am just in love with the colour, Sue. Wish I could have a large scoop now :-))
I’m always amazed at the color in blueberry recipes, it’s one of the best purples!
Wow, I love wild blueberries and have picked them in the past but it’s quite tedious and labor intensive. I love that you buy the wild berries frozen. This ice cream looks amazing and is the most gorgeous color. I will definitely try it!
I was revisiting my blueberry picking days while writing this post, Chris, my youngest daughter and I loved to do it when we lived in New Hampshire…and I remembered that when you pick cultivated berries you barely have to touch a cluster of them and they fall into your pail, but with the wilds, like you say, it’s pretty labor intensive, but so worth it 🙂
Simply gorgeous! I should never come and visit you until I have breakfast first – I am absolutely drooling over these beautiful blue scoops. This ice cream has the most beautiful color – I bet it tastes fantastic with that sour cream. Yummy!
Nest up with the frozen blueberries is a breakfast smoothie, and I bet it will be ALMOST as good!