Jersey Strawberry and Basil Ice Cream

**Prepare the Strawberry Basil Puree:** Combine the sliced strawberries, basil leaves, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Pulse until a smooth puree forms. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any seeds, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids. Stir in the melted Jersey butter.

**Make the Custard Base:** In a saucepan, whisk together the Jersey milk, Jersey heavy cream, and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is steaming but not boiling.

**Temper the Egg Yolks:** In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until light and slightly thickened. Slowly drizzle a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper them. This prevents the eggs from scrambling.

**Cook the Custard:** Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to boil the custard, as this will cause it to curdle.

**Chill the Custard:** Remove the custard from the heat and pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. This will remove any lumps or cooked egg particles. Stir in the prepared strawberry basil puree.

**Chill Thoroughly:** Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, until completely chilled.

**Churn the Ice Cream:** Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

**Freeze:** Once churned, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours to allow it to harden further. If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour the chilled custard into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to break up ice crystals. This will create a smoother texture.