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    Home » dessert » ice cream » I Scream, You Scream... - Blueberry-Hyssop Ice Cream

    I Scream, You Scream... - Blueberry-Hyssop Ice Cream

    Aug 9, 2010 · 28 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    I discovered anise hyssop quite by accident last summer, when I picked up a small seedling of Blue Flame Hyssop at the local garden centre. I was lured by the promise that it would be tough enough to survive the combination of shade and neglect that is my garden, and its pale purple blooms.

    Blueberry-Hyssop Ice Cream

    A year later, my little seedling has grown into a sprawling metre-tall bush beside my front door.

    For most of the summer, it cheerfully greets me each morning with a wave of its feathery spears of lavender-blue flowers, filling the air with the happy buzzing of the local bumblebees who can't resist its sweet smell.

    Even then, it was only a couple of months ago that I realised exactly just how lucky I'd gotten with this little gem.

    As I was snipping off a few sprigs of hyssop to use in the backdrop for a Blackberry-Verbena Soda, the air filled with a heady scent of black licorice. Immediately, a little voice in my head whispered "Something that smells THIS delicious has got to be edible, right?" (Because apparently my brain is always in search of new things to eat, even when I'm gardening)

    Anise Hyssop: The Incredible, Edible Herb

    A little research on the internet quickly confirmed my suspicions.

    As it turns out, anise hyssop (or licorice mint, as it's sometimes called) is an indigenous North American plant that was appreciated by Native Americans as a breath freshener and medicinal herb.

    It thrives in a variety of growing conditions, is a favourite with our friendly neighbourhood pollinators, and happily blooms from July through to the last frost.

    But best of all, it's both the leaves and blossoms of the hyssop are completely edible, with a flavour that's best described as anise with a hint of mint, which means that hyssop can be used almost anywhere you'd use basil, mint or tarragon.

    Hyssop... and Ice Cream

    Giving Homemade Ice Cream an Herbal Spin

    For this recipe, I've used hyssop leaves to infuse the milk for a blueberry ice cream that echoes the lavender-blue colour of the hyssop blossoms, adding a shot of bright green Pernod liqueur for an extra anise-scented boost.

    It's a really lovely combination. In fact, the scent of the custard was so mouthwateringly licoricy that I found myself hovering over the ice cream maker with spoon in hand like an anxious bumblebee buzzing around a hyssop blossom, waiting for my first taste.

    I'm not ashamed to admit that the bowl in these photos lasted all of two minutes after I finished taking my shots. It's seriously good stuff.

    What to Do if You Can't Get Hyssop

    Obviously, it would be silly of me to expect everyone to plant hyssop in their yard just to make this recipe (though I certainly wouldn't discourage it, either).

    If you have an herbalist in your neighbourhood, you may be able to find some dried hyssop there.

    And if not, you can also substitute another licorice-scented herb, like tarragon or Thai basil, for a slightly different flavour profile.

    If you're interested in learning more about this under-appreciated herb, here are a couple of very informative posts over on Chow and Healthy Green Kitchen.

    //

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    Blueberry-Hyssop Ice Cream


    • Author: Isabelle Boucher (Crumb)
    • Total Time: 3 hours 40 mins
    • Yield: 10 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This brilliantly purple ice cream pairs fresh blueberries with anise hyssop, a native North American herb that has pale purple blossoms and a sweet licorice flavour. If you can't find hyssop, substitute any other licorice-scented herb, such as Thai basil or tarragon.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 cups milk
    • 1 cup roughly chopped anise hyssop leaves
    • 2 ½ cups fresh blueberries, washed and picked over
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • 6 egg yolks
    • 2 tbsp anise liqueur, such as Pernod

    Instructions

    1. In a small saucepan, bring milk to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add the hyssop leaves, then cover and let steep for about 30-45 minutes.
    2. Meanwhile, combine the blueberries and lemon juice in a second saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the blueberries begin to burst and release their juices. Puree with an immersion blender, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
    3. Once the milk is sufficiently infused, strain out the hyssop leaves and discard. Stir in cream, and bring to a simmer again over medium-high heat.
    4. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Ladle in a small amount of the warm milk mixture, whisking vigorously to keep the eggs from curdling. Slowly pour in the remainder of the warm milk, one or two ladlefuls at a time, whisking constantly as you go.
    5. Once all the milk has been incorporated into the eggs, pour mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula (a silicone spatula is your best friend when it comes to custard-making - if you don't have one, get one. It's worth it). Remove from heat.
    6. Pour the blueberry puree through a sieve into a clean bowl, pressing on solids with back of a spoon. Stir in the custard and Pernod, then cover with plastic wrap. Chill custard in refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours to ensure it's thoroughly chilled before pouring into your ice cream maker and freezing as per manufacturer's instructions.
    • Prep Time: 3 hours 30 mins
    • Cook Time: 10 mins
    • Category: Dessert

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Betty says

      June 18, 2019 at 1:22 pm

      Most blueberry ice cream require the fruit and juice, but this recipe says to press the pulp into a sieve. Then what? Please explain and thank you so much for the creative, colorful rendition!

      Reply
      • Isabelle Boucher says

        June 18, 2019 at 2:46 pm

        Good question, Betty! In this case, you're only going to stir the blueberry juice into the custard, so that it gets all the flavour and colour of the blueberries without any noticeable chunks that would take away from the creamy texture.
        Once you've pressed out all the juice, you can either discard the solids or save them to stir into yogurt or oatmeal for a nice breakfast treat. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    2. Foodessa says

      September 26, 2010 at 6:15 am

      This post was not only informative it was luring me to continue reading how your new discovery brought you such joy.
      The mouthwatering color and texture of this ice-cream is screaming to be elegantly spooned ;o)

      Great post.

      Flavourful wishes,
      Claudia

      Reply
    3. denise @ quickies on the dinner table says

      August 14, 2010 at 12:20 am

      This is the most sophisticated ice cream flavour I've ever come across. The only thing I associate with hyssop is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ - never imagined it had culinary uses, though I think this is probably a different variety of hyssop?

      The colour is unbelievable! I am so intrigued now about how it would taste..

      Reply
    4. dining tables says

      August 13, 2010 at 5:08 am

      Blueberry-Hyssop Ice Cream is the best ice cream flavor I ever taste. It is so yummy. I still can't forget the sweet taste of it and there is something so different of that ice cream that I can't explain.

      Reply
    5. Samantha @ The Savvy Soybean says

      August 12, 2010 at 1:25 pm

      This looks fantastic. I love playing with flavors of ice cream, and look at that color! Gorgeous.

      Reply
    6. Winnie says

      August 11, 2010 at 10:05 pm

      Fabulous! I did not see this before but will go update my anise hyssop post to include this link.
      Thanks for the tweet to let me know about you lovely blog!

      Reply
    7. Spicie Foodie says

      August 11, 2010 at 7:11 pm

      Congratulations on the Foodbuzz top 9! The photograph is just beautiful, such colors and it sounds delicious.

      Reply
    8. foodalution.com says

      August 11, 2010 at 4:57 pm

      The color is over the top. So beautiful. Absolutely sublime ~~~~~

      Reply
    9. Pacheco Patty says

      August 11, 2010 at 10:47 am

      Beautiful ice cream and lovely photograph, congratulations on Foodbuzz top 9!

      Reply
    10. The Cilantropist says

      August 11, 2010 at 10:44 am

      Sounds like I definitely need to give hyssop a try, and it also seems like we were thinking alike this week. I posted ice cream infused with sage, and you infused with hyssop! ;) Lovely recipe, and I am dying for that beautiful blue color. Congrats on Foodbuzz top 9!

      Reply
    11. Tonya @ What's On My Plate says

      August 11, 2010 at 7:45 am

      Gorgeous ice cream and such a unique combination!

      Reply
    12. Indonesia-Eats says

      August 11, 2010 at 5:01 am

      Congrats for the TOP 9! Those two ingredients are my favourite!

      Reply
    13. Magic of Spice says

      August 11, 2010 at 12:53 am

      Wow, I am in love with this ice cream...and the anise hyssop is such a fabulous herb! Beautiful use here :)

      Reply
    14. A. says

      August 10, 2010 at 3:11 pm

      This ice-cream looks so good.
      So unusual yet so intriguing!

      Reply
    15. Savannah, Acts of Sweetness Ambassador says

      August 10, 2010 at 2:52 pm

      Hi Isabelle!

      This ice cream is beautiful. It has such amazing, rich colour. I just tried making vanilla ice cream the other day (without a machine!) and I was so happy with how it turned out. I'll definitely have to try this recipe.

      If you ever feel like sharing this post (or any others!) with our online baking community please do! You can visit us at: https://www.facebook.com/redpathsugar?ref=ts
      We're always looking for interesting and new recipes to share (and photos, too!) .

      We're also running a pretty awesome contest to win tickets to see the Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro live in Toronto! You can check it out on our facebook page that I've linked to above
      :)
      -Savannah

      Reply
    16. Torviewtoronto says

      August 10, 2010 at 1:32 pm

      looks delicious lovely colour

      Reply
    17. Chef Dennis says

      August 10, 2010 at 11:12 am

      this is a definite wow!!!!! your ice cream looks so very very good, and adding that gorgeous little flower was a stroke of genius! who knew it would be edible or tasty!! I need to get an ice cream maker, this just looks heavenly!

      Reply
    18. Isabelle says

      August 10, 2010 at 10:59 am

      Phew... glad to hear I wasn't the only one who didn't know about hyssop before this. :) So glad I was able to share my discovery with you all!

      Diva, do let me know how it turns out if you try it with basil. I haven't tested it out personally, but the other basil-based ice creams I've made in the past were unspeakably delicious.

      Reply
    19. Elizabeth says

      August 10, 2010 at 10:42 am

      Wow, hyssop. I've never even seen it...but the colour of your ice cream just grabbed me right out of my morning coffee hypnosis. Beautiful! and I imagine if the hyssop is anise flavoured that this cream tastes absolutely fantastic!

      Reply
    20. ravienomnoms says

      August 10, 2010 at 9:47 am

      What a great color of Ice cream! It is fabulous and I am sure it tastes as great as it looks!

      Reply
    21. Peggy says

      August 10, 2010 at 7:06 am

      I love the flavor of Pernod, until now, I've only added it to seafood dishes, but I think it's going to make a visit to my ice cream maker once I find the hyssop! P.S. - I absolutely love the color of that ice cream!

      Reply
    22. Subterfuge Diva says

      August 10, 2010 at 5:11 am

      Hyssop sounds almost mystical to me, but I love what you did with it in this ice cream. Even the purple hue is mysteriously lovely! I might try this recipe with Thai basil, which we've got absolutely LOADS of in our garden. Thanks for sharing this!

      Reply
    23. Brie: Le Grand Fromage says

      August 10, 2010 at 12:18 am

      aww, i haven't seen hyssop in quite some time. yours looks beautiful. i love the way you've infused the ice cream and wish i could be enjoying a bowl right now with your lovely description. it looks amazing.

      Reply
    24. roxan says

      August 9, 2010 at 11:57 pm

      Wow, i've never herad of hssop before but this ice cream looks really lovely. I'd love to try some!

      Reply
    25. baking.serendipity says

      August 9, 2010 at 11:26 pm

      So creative! I've never heard of hyssop before, but I tend to sort of exist in my lil box of comfortable foods. You're definitely tempting me to step out of it here...this ice cream looks delicious!

      Reply
    26. penny aka jeroxie says

      August 9, 2010 at 11:18 pm

      What a lovely colour! and I am intrigued with this hyssop leaves? Must explore.

      Reply
    27. fortheloveofyum says

      August 9, 2010 at 9:47 pm

      Yayyyy, you posted the hyssop one first! Thanks for all the information about hyssop and I am quite intrigued by it. Gorgeous ice cream, simple and lovely. I'm sure the Pernod compliments the hyssop quite nicely. Yet, another reason why I NEED an ice cream maker!

      Reply

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    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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