Steeping

This is one of the key techniques for imparting flavor to ice cream. Steeping ingredients, or soaking them in the base used to make the ice cream, opens up a whole new world of flavor possibilities. You aren’t limited to a vanilla or chocolate base—you can make rye bread–infused ice cream, popcorn-infused ice cream, or even Cheetos-infused ice cream.

The key to steeping is to heat the milk first, until it starts to steam. Then remove the pan from the heat, add the ingredient to be steeped, and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Let sit at least 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. The longer you steep, the more concentrated the flavor will become. Our recipes specify the recommended steeping time, which varies according to ingredient and the desired intensity of the flavor.