Chamomile Ice Cream Recipe From the Garden
This delicately flavored chamomile ice cream is a great way to use fresh chamomile blossoms. This recipe is based on my favorite Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Recipe but edited for a lighter flavor by switching to more milk than cream in the mixture ratio, so it has a less dense texture. I fell in love with how it turned out!
In my garden, I grow German chamomile (chamomilla recutita). It’s honestly the only type of chamomile I’ve ever grown, although I know that some gardeners also grow Roman chamomile. Both types have different growing habits, and I’m sure herbalists might have a preference on which one they use. Update 2023: I now have a Chamomile Grow Guide if you’d like to grow your own too!
Ingredients for Chamomile Ice Cream
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chamomile blossoms, fresh *chamomile grow guide HERE
scant 3/4 cup sugar (this is sweet, so feel free to sugar to taste)
pinch of salt
German chamomile growing in my raised bed garden. I prefer to grow as many of my own herbs and edible flowers as possible, so I know they aren’t treated with chemicals. There are so many ways to use chamomile flowers, but you’re going to love this chamomile ice cream.
Let’s make chamomile ice cream!
Place milk in a small saucepan. Add your chamomile blossoms and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until the milk reaches an ALMOST boil.
Remove from heat and let sit.
As the milk cools, it will become infused with the chamomile flavor.
Once your mixture is cool enough to go in the fridge, add your sugar and pinch of salt. Stir to dissolve.
Add the heavy cream and stir.
Place your mixture in the refrigerator to fully chill (at least 1 to 2 hours).
Get out your ice cream maker!
Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth and add to your ice cream machine.
Churn mixture in an ice cream machine according to manufacture’s instructions. *I’ve linked the exact machine we have been using for years below. ↓
Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze. It will continue to set. We like to let it set overnight at least.
Enjoy your chamomile ice cream! See tip for storage below.
The best way to store homemade chamomile ice cream
We have tried a few different storage methods and have found our favorite!
Transfer your ice cream to a freezer safe container with a lid. Before putting on the lid, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside the container and place it on top of the ice cream. This helps prevent freezer burn, ice crystals, and helps the ice cream maintain that luscious texture.
Cover with lid and store in the freezer! We eat our homemade ice cream so fast, but it can keep for a couple weeks
If you are looking for chamomile seeds to grow in your own garden, this is where I got my German chamomile seeds. There’s also a chamomile grow guide now available on the blog HERE.
How to Harvest chamomile to dry
Drying your chamomile flowers will allow you to have chamomile all year long (depending on how much you harvest). Because I grow so much chamomile, I always like to stock my pantry with dried blossoms for tea and culinary uses later in the season. Fresh blossoms can still be used, but drying chamomile just extends your harvest. Watch the video below for how I harvest and dry my chamomile flowers. NOTE: you can cut bundles and hang them upside down to dry like other herbs, but I find that separating the flowers from the stems and then drying in a dehydrator will result in a nice, clean product that I can dry more uniformly. If I am pressed for time, I will just dry in bundles hanging upside down.
Do you like cooking with herbs and flowers? You might be interested in these other articles:
⇓ Did you try this recipe? Leave your comments below!⇓
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