Yuzu (柚子) is an Asian citrus fruit that’s become very popular in the United States. But in Japan, yuzu has been around for centuries and is used extensively in various sweet and savory dishes. With a fragrance that’s unmistakable, I simply adore any yuzu-flavored foods, and creamy Yuzu Ice Cream is one of my favorites. Today, I’m sharing my very easy Yuzu Ice Cream recipe that you can make with store-bought yuzu marmalade. The resulting ice cream has the perfect balance of sweet and refreshing citrus flavor. This recipe is an delightful way to enjoy yuzu and I hope you give it a try!
What is Yuzu?
Yuzu (柚子) is a small yellow or green citrus fruit that’s highly prized in Japanese cooking for its intensely aromatic zest and floral, tart-sweet juice. Originally from China, yuzu is mostly used in Japanese and Korean cuisines. The juice tastes like a complex blend of sour, sweet, and floral flavors. It’s a good combination of tart lemon, bitter grapefruit, sweet orange, and fragrant pomelo. The taste is more complex than the juice of lemon or lime. Yuzu’s flavor is tart but it has an amazing aroma; therefore, it is rarely eaten as a fruit. Instead, we use aromatic yuzu zest and yuzu juice just as we use lemon for recipes. You can read more about this delicious fruit on my yuzu page.
Use Marmalade to Make Yuzu Ice Cream
I know fresh yuzu is very hard to find outside of Japan and Korea, so I thought of using other yuzu products. I like to use bottled yuzu juice for my cooking, but this is also not easy to find if you don’t have a Japanese grocery store nearby. My third option was Korean yuzu tea (yuja cha, citron tea). You can find this product in most Korean and Asian/Japanese grocery stores. Although it is called yuzu “tea,” it’s more like yuzu jam or marmalade. The marmalade is typically made from yuzu fruit including the zest, so it works perfectly for yuzu ice cream.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You need just 6 ingredients to make my Yuzu Ice Cream. The custard for the ice cream base is pretty similar to my other ice cream recipes, too.
large egg yolks sugar whole milk heavy (whipping) cream yuzu jam (marmalade) – I use yuzu “tea“ from the Korean market, but you could also make my Yuzu Marmalade recipe kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal brand
How To Make Yuzu Ice Cream
You can keep it in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, but enjoy it sooner for the best flavor and color and to avoid ice crystals forming on the surface.
Ice Cream and Sorbet Recipes You’ll Love
Matcha Ice Cream Black Sesame Ice Cream Red Bean (Azuki) Ice Cream Yuzu Sorbet Shiso Sorbet Soy Sauce Caramel Ice Cream
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