-
1
Make the blackberry base
10 Mins
Warm to about 60°C (140°F), then chilled to 4°C (40°F)
Tip the washed blackberries into a blender with the milk and blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the puree through a fine sieve into a saucepan, pressing with a spoon to get all the juice through and leaving the seeds behind. Stir in the sugar, lime juice and salt, then warm over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar has dissolved — about 5 minutes. Do not boil it. Pour into a jug and chill in the fridge until completely cold, at least 30 minutes.
Straining out the seeds is not optional — they are the difference between silk-smooth ice cream and a gritty one.
Done when: Smooth, seed-free, deep-purple base, completely cold to the touch.
-
2
Chill the paila in ice and salt
5 Mins
Ice and salt bath, about -10°C (14°F)
Set the paila (or a wide stainless steel bowl) inside a larger container and pack crushed ice and rock salt tightly around it, up to the rim. Spin the paila a few times so the ice settles against the metal, and leave it for 5 minutes until the inside of the pan is painfully cold to touch. Top up the ice if it starts to melt.
Rock salt is what makes the ice cold enough to freeze — plain ice alone sits at 0°C and barely works.
Done when: Inside of the paila painfully cold to the touch, ice packed tight around it.
-
3
Pour in and start churning
5 Mins
Paila at about -10°C (14°F)
Pour the cold blackberry base into the chilled paila — it should start to thicken at the edges almost at once. With a large wooden spoon, stir in slow figure-eight movements, scraping the frozen edges into the centre so the unfrozen base touches the cold metal again. Keep the paila turning slowly as you stir so every part of it stays cold.
Use a wooden spoon, not metal — metal sticks to the frozen base and warms up in your hand.
Done when: Base thickening at the edges, spoon leaving trails that fill in slowly.
-
4
Churn until frozen and smooth
15 Mins
Paila at about -10°C (14°F)
Keep stirring and scraping for 15 to 20 minutes, until the whole pan has turned into a thick, soft, smooth mass that holds its shape on the spoon. Add more ice and salt around the paila if it starts to melt, and do not stop moving — every minute the base sits still, ice crystals grow and the texture turns grainy.
The last 5 minutes are the hardest — the base is thick and your arm will ache. That is exactly when the smooth texture is made.
Done when: Thick, soft and smooth, holding its shape on the spoon, no liquid left at the edges.
-
5
Scoop and freeze firm
5 Mins
Freezer -18°C (0°F)
Scoop the helado into small bowls or wafer cones and serve at once, topped with fresh blackberries. If you want it firmer, pack it into a container, cover the surface with cling film, and freeze for 2 hours — then let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before scooping so it is soft enough to serve.
Press cling film directly onto the surface before freezing — it stops ice crystals forming on top.
Done when: Scoops hold their shape, soft enough to eat with a spoon, no ice crystals.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Scoop the helado into small bowls or wafer cones while it is still soft, and serve at once with fresh blackberries on top. If it has firmed up in the freezer, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes so it scoops smoothly.
Ecuador
30m
