CANTALOUPE ICE CREAM

CANTALOUPE ICE CREAM (a new twist on an unchanged 100+ yr old family ice cream recipe)

Makes a half gallon:

5 eggs
1.5 cups sugar
tiny pinch salt
1/8 cup flour
1/2 gallon of whole milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
__ cups pureed cantaloupe (preferably Pecos if you are in Texas) [see below why this quantity is not specified)

-beat eggs until almost frothy then add sugar and flour and salt, mix in well -put in pan on stove over low/medium heat and stir CONSTANTLY for about 30 minutes to an hour, or until custard is very thick and will coat a spoon (here the thicker the better/richer, but it's up to you how long you want to masochistically stir your custard)
-let custard cool at room temperature and stir in vanilla
NOTE: When I first made this recipe I chose to do two different flavors and hence split up the custard. I do not remember how much custard I used for the cantaloupe ice cream, thought I do remember that the ratio of custard to cantaloupe puree was 3:2. That being said, if you end up having 8 cups of custard, you'll want to use 5 and 1/3 cups of puree, if you have 6 cups use 4 cups of puree, etc.
-near the end of the cooling process scoop out however many cups of cantaloupe you need with a spoon and transfer to a blender where you'll mix on medium until you have a thick puree that's about the same consistency as your custard (the closer the consistency of the puree to the custard the better the two blend)-pour the puree into the custard and whisk until very well integrated and the mixture turns an orange color

-AT THIS POINT: please, if you have one, use an ice cream maker/machine. It will make your life so much easier.

-if you DO NOT have an ice cream maker, you must: a) put the mixture into a bowl suitable for freezing that also is deep enough to run an handheld electric mixer inb) put the mixture in the freezer for 45 minutesc) take out and beat very well/vigorously with electric mixerd) repeat every 30 minutes thereafter until ice cream is frozen and has a creamy consistency

If, like me, you do not have an ice cream maker, attempt this alternate option, start your recipe in the evening, and do not have time to get through this process before you go to sleep your ice cream will turn out very icy--bad thing. However, the reason this recipe is worth making, and making right, because the flavor of the cantaloupe ice cream (regardless of how successful your texture is), is THE BEST-- good thing. It's so refreshing and creamy at the same time, and so unique with the cantaloupe flavor. Do yourself a favor and make it this summer while cantaloupes are at their peak!