It was only a matter of time before I would begin revisiting recipes that I’ve already shared here on Comfort du Jour. And it’s not because I’m out of ideas. Rather, it’s because I cannot leave well enough alone, and I am always fiddling with successful recipes— even my own. When I first gave you the scoop on this sweet corn ice cream with a blueberry whiskey ribbon (it was July 2020 if you missed it), I was stuck in a rut of making a custard base that required whipping egg yolks with sugar and then tempering them with hot milk and cooking until thick. Those days, however, are gone. More gone than National Ice Cream month (July) and more gone than the so-called dog days of summer (which ended last week).

My discovery of the sweetened condensed milk variety of ice cream has changed everything, and as most of the United States enters peak sweet corn harvest season, I can’t find any reason to postpone sharing my 2.0 experience with this delightful, unexpected flavor combination. That’s right, I’m not going to make you wait until next July (you’re welcome)!

Like my custard-based version, this ice cream gets its flavor from real corn, simmered in milk and then pulsed and strained to coax every bit of flavor from the plump kernels. But replacing the rich, eggy custard with a flip-top can of sweetened condensed milk is not only easier and quicker, it’s a better outcome, texture-wise. Why bother with custard when this turns out so good? The ice cream base gets layered (after freezing, of course) with a sweet and boozy fresh blueberry compote, and I am officially going on record to say this is my favorite summer flavor combination. Come along, let’s make some!

What are the ingredients for sweet corn ice cream?

The ingredient list for this ice cream is almost too simple. My usual base formula is one can sweetened condensed milk, one cup whole milk and one cup heavy cream (keep it simple, sweetheart). But on the day I made this, I messed up. I had only a splash each of milk and heavy cream, so I made a quick pivot and subbed half and half for most of the dairy. The fat content ended up being about the same as my go-to, and guess what? This was not a dealbreaker. Sometimes you just have to go with what you’ve got. The rest of the ingredients are fresh sweet corn, cane sugar and the blueberry compote, which is also a short list: fresh berries, sugar, corn syrup and this blueberry-infused whiskey.

My recommendation for readers outside of North Carolina, where this “Smashing Violet” whiskey is available in ABC stores, would be to seek out a distiller near you that might offer a similar whiskey with blueberry infusion. Or, if that is a no-go, choose a lower proof sweet-variety bourbon and supplement with pure blueberry juice. Or skip the booze altogether (if you must), and add pure blueberry juice and a squeeze of lemon for a bit of acidity.

Let me pause for a quick sec to call out what I didn’t add to this recipe. Did you notice? As much as I adore vanilla, and especially after I was recently gifted a gorgeous bottle of homemade vanilla extract from a sweet foodie friend (thank you, Dorothy!), I didn’t want anything competing with the flavor of the corn. Not even vanilla. So it is a rare but intentional omission for this batch of ice cream.

Do I need any special tools to make sweet corn ice cream?

There are a few things you’ll need for best results— first, an ice cream machine, which I highly recommend for anyone interested in making ice cream at home. Sure, there are a million “no churn” recipes on the internet, but to me, this is equal to trying to make toast without a toaster. It can be done, but why would you want to MacGyver it? The second item you’ll need is some kind of tool to process the corn after it simmers in the slightly sweetened milk. This might be an immersion blender, or perhaps a regular blender, but definitely one that you can “pulse” rather than just puree. Finally, have a stainless mesh strainer for separating the processed corn solids out of the milk mixture, and it should be large enough to hold about three cups of mixture. A smaller one will work if you’re willing to do it in batches. I don’t have that kind of patience. I just want to get to eating this ice cream!

Tips for success

Use the sweetest, freshest corn you can find. Farmers’ market or homegrown is ideal; pre-husked and shrink-wrapped at the grocery store, not so much. I can’t say for sure how many ears you’ll need because corn varies in size. After cutting the kernels off the three large ears I used, I had roughly two and a half cups of corn, so let that be your guideline.

Also, don’t toss the cobs! Trim the ends and cut them into chunks that will fit in your pot. It can be difficult to cut through uncooked corn, so here’s another tip: Cut down about a half-inch into the cob, and then use your hands to snap the cob where you’ve scored it. No sense chopping off a finger.

Use a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent scorching while you simmer the corn in the half and half. Use a medium-low temperature at first, and then when you begin to see a few bubbles around the edges, turn it down to low. Do not let the mixture boil, as this will curdle the proteins and burn the sugars. This will simmer— or steep, really— for almost an hour. Cool it to room temp before blending.

Use an immersion blender right in the pot, or transfer in batches to a regular blender, and only pulse to chop up the tender kernels so that they release the flavor inside. Do not puree it, as this will leave you with a weird texture that will be impossible to strain. Don’t use a food processor unless you have plenty of time to clean up the mess it will make. You know what would be great here, and probably what my grandmother would have used? An old-school food mill. Oh, how I wish I had hers! 🥹

Don’t discard the solids after straining! Even though they’ve given up the ghost for this ice cream, they still have quite a bit of flavor themselves. Add half of them to a batch of corn muffins or pancakes (I love this recipe from King Arthur Baking, if you happen to also be a sourdough baker), and throw the rest into a chowder. Blend in the condensed milk and heavy cream to the corn-infused half and half and chill it at least several hours, preferably overnight.

No fresh blueberries? No problem! I have made this ice cream several times with frozen blueberries— I’m especially fond of the “wild” ones— and it works absolutely fine.

For the most intense blueberry flavor in your compote, especially if you don’t have the blueberry whiskey, add some bottled blueberry juice to the fresh or frozen berries as they simmer with the sugar. Find it in the juice aisle, and verify the ingredient list to ensure that it is only blueberry juice. Don’t be misled by claims of “100%” juice, which might just mean that it has an apple or pear juice base with enough blueberry to color it. Also, the juice should not have added sugar (or if it does, reduce what you add to the compote).

On the subject of the compote, for goodness sake, don’t rush it. The berries need to be softened to the point of being mushy, and the liquid must evaporate so that the added sugar creates a syrup. Add a bit of light corn syrup to prevent the sugar from crystallizing when it cools. Cook this over medium-low heat until it is very bubbly all over. Add the whiskey and simmer again until it reaches the same stage. Then, turn it off and cool to room temp before transferring it to a bowl. Expect this to take at least 30 minutes from start to whiskey.

Be sure the ice cream bowl for your machine has been in the deep freeze for a minimum of 24 hours before churning. When it finishes in the churn cycle, consider adding a tablespoon or two of vodka during the final minute. This is not essential, but it improves the texture of the ice cream so that you can scoop it out straight from the freezer without waiting. If you choose to skip this, plan to remove the ice cream 10 to 15 minutes before serving time.

Layering the ice cream with compote is as easy as it sounds, and I discourage any attempt to “swirl’ it during this stage, as you may end up with a muddy look when you scoop it. Trust the process. The swirl will happen like magic later when it’s ready to scoop and serve.

Finally— and this is so important— put this ice cream in the freezer and do your best to forget about it for a full day. You’ll be tempted to dig right in, especially if you have tasted things along the way as I always do. But homemade ice cream needs time to “ripen” in the deep freeze, and with the layer of sticky compote, scooping this one too soon would be nothing short of disaster. Go read a book, shampoo the carpets, binge-watch another bad HBO series. Do anything, but give this ice cream 24 hours to set up properly before you scoop and enjoy. You won’t be disappointed!

Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blueberry Whiskey Ribbon

• Servings: About 8
• Prep Time: 90 minutes active, plus chilling, churning and ripening
• Difficulty: Intermediate
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This is my custard-free version of one of my favorite summer ice creams, using sweetened condensed milk for the silkiest, creamiest texture you can imagine. Take your time with this one; I promise it's worth the trouble and the wait!

Ingredients

• 3 large ears ripe sweet corn, husked and cleaned
• 1 1/2 cups half n half
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• pinch of salt
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. vodka (optional, added during final minute of churning for improved texture)

Note: Use a heavy-bottomed pot for simmering the corn and cobs, to prevent scorching. Take care not to boil the milk mixture, and wait until after the corn is processed and strained to add the sweetened condensed milk and cream. You will need an immersion blender, regular blender or food mill to process the corn-milk mixture and a stainless mesh strainer to filter out the solids.

Directions

1. Using a sharp knife, stand each ear of corn on end and cut off all the kernels. Cut the cobs into pieces that will fit in your cooking pot.
2. Combine corn, half and half, sugar and salt in the pot over medium heat. Watch it closely, and reduce the heat to very low once it begins to barely bubble around the sides of the pot. Steep without allowing it to boil for almost one hour, until the kernels are very soft. Remove from heat and set aside for a few minutes.
3. Use tongs to remove the spent corn cobs, allowing excess milk to drip into the pot. Pulse the mixture with an immersion blender to break up the softened kernels, but do not try to process smooth. There should be plenty of shredded bits of corn visible in the mixture.
4. Strain through a mesh strainer into a clean pitcher bowl. Gently stir in sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate several hours to thoroughly chill before freezing.
5. Make the blueberry compote while the ice cream base is chilling.

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries
• scant 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. corn syrup (to prevent crystallization)
• 3 Tbsp. Broad Branch Distillery Smashing Violet blueberry-infused whiskey (see notes for substitute)

Note: If you cannot find this whiskey (or a similar local product), substitute with two tablespoons of a low-proof bourbon, and swap in pure blueberry juice for the water used for simmering the berries. If you prefer a no-alcohol recipe, omit the whiskey entirely and swap in double amount of blueberry juice for water, plus a squeeze of fresh lemon. You may need to slightly increase the cooking time of the compote to get a proper reduction.

Directions

1. Combine berries, sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Stir frequently to ensure that the mixture doesn’t scorch. After sugar dissolves, stir in the corn syrup to prevent crystallization of the sugar when the mixture cools later.
2. When the mixture is syrupy and reduced by about half, it should be bubbly all over even when stirred. Add the whiskey and allow it to boil again, but only for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before transferring to a bowl to be chilled in the fridge.

Note: Be sure your ice cream maker’s freezer bowl has been frozen for at least 24 hours for best results.

Directions

1. Gently stir the ice cream base just before churning to reincorporate any ingredients that may have settled. Pour into the ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. During the final minute of churning, add optional vodka.
2. When ice cream base has finished freezing, spread one-third of it into an insulated ice cream container. Carefully spoon on a zigzag of the blueberry compote, about a quarter cup worth. Do not attempt to swirl it into the ice cream as this will lead to a muddy appearance (the swirls happen naturally during scooping).
3. Repeat with another layer of ice cream and another zigzag of compote, and then finish with the remaining ice cream. Smooth the top, cover it and place it in the freezer for 24 hours before enjoying.