Olive leaves add an earthy, slightly bitter taste to this olive leaf gelato, which is tempered with lemon peel. You can eat this for indulgence, or for the polyphenols and flavonoids found in the leaves, offering a treat that is good for your health.
Skip ahead to the recipe for Olive Leaf Gelato
Using olive leaves in the kitchen
When we were in Turkey I bought some tea at the market. I chose one for diabetics, and gifted half of what I bought to a friend. The rest I kept for myself and after a few pots of tea, I separated out the ingredients. One of them was olive leaves. I had never thought to use them in a culinary way, but felt inspired one day to use them in a gelato. I could pretend I did this for the health benefits, especially as they have anti-inflammatory effects. Olive leaves are also rich in antioxidants and are great for supporting the immune system. Studies are ongoing to prove that olive oil, and olive leaves, are important in curbing cognitive decline. What we do know is that both have the potential to prevent chronic disease.
Memories of gelato
Whenever someone says they are going to Venice, I offer a few words of advice. One is to buy a paper map and walk everywhere. And the other is to go to Nico’s for gelato. We only went there on a recommendation from a friend, and I would go back to Venice just for a scoop of his ice cream. The other place I would return to is Tropea, where we had some interesting flavours, including onion! Then there is a gelateria in Bologna, and one in Rome worth a second visit. Or the one in La Spezia we went to every day when on holiday. I have memories of gelato in Paris, as well as Naples, and most recently, a well deserved scoop after an hours walk in Zeeland. My flavour of choice will always be hazelnut, but I am open to experimenting with new flavours at any time.
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Olive Leaf Gelato ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Olive Leaf Gelato
Ingredients
- 250 mls milk
- 5 g dried olive leaves
- ½ lemon, peel only
- 5 egg yolks
- 170 g fructose
- 250 mls cream
Method
- Place the milk, leaves and peel into a medium size heavy bottomed saucepan and bring the milk up to blood temperature
- Turn the heat off and leave to infuse for an hour, before reheating to blood temperature again
- Place the yolks and fructose into a mixing bowl and whisk until ribbon stage
- Strain the milk into the eggs and then whisk to combine
- Pour the custard into the saucepan, reduce the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until thickened and you can draw a line through the custard on the back of the spoon
- Remove from the heat, pour into a jug, and add the cream
- Stir to combine then refrigerate overnight
- Churn in your ice cream machine until the desired consistency
- Pour into a freezer container and freeze for at least four hours before serving
See the links below for blog posts I published on January 22:
- 2021: Pindjur
- 2020: Summer Food
- 2018: Pasteis De Natas
- 2017: The Kept Woman
- 2015: Overnight Sourdough Bread
- 2014: The Kingfisher Restaurant
- 2013: Stellenbosch Wine Festival Give Away
Tandy – I am SO glad you have pointed out the many health benefits of olive leaves and have found such an interesting way for people to read and try! And – I SO agree with paper maps anywhere and certainly in Venice . . . cannot praise Nico’s – have not been there 🙂 ! . . . would be more than willing to try hazelnut gelato also . . . have not been lucky enough to meet that either so far . . .
hazelnut gelato is my all time favourite and I get very upset if a gelateria does not have it haha 😉
I’ve made geranium leaf ice cream but never one with olive leaves – great idea.
and I like your idea! Geraniums are indigenous to where I live so I will most certainly try 🙂
What a great idea! I need to incorporate olive leaf into the cooking too.
Let me know what you think of the taste profile 🙂
I am so curious as to why you would separate out the leaves of the tea?? I guess they were large enough to warrant it, but just wondering why?
sherry
There were hibiscus flowers, rose buds, and a few other things, as well as the olive leaves. I used up some of the red flowers to make cold teas and had these left over 🙂
Intriguing flavour, Tandy – that olive leaf gelato sounds so unique and delicious!
Thank you so much!
I’ve made olive oil ice cream and even caramelized Kalamata olive ice cream, but never olive leaf ice cream! What a fascinating twist on the idea. I would love to try it.
Ooh, that caramelized Kalamata olive ice cream sounds divine!
Producing olive leaf ice cream is such a challenging inspiration. On the one hand, because the topic of strengthening the immune system concerns me, and on the other hand, because of my urgent desire to curb the inflammation in my body.
By the way… my brother-in-law is a so called gelatier by Belluno, above Venice. We love to eat gelato.
Greetings by Heidrun
I will bookmark this comment in case we are ever in that region!
Hi Tandy, I am aware of the immune boosting properties of olive leaves / oil but I didn’t know about the inflammation. I don’t have an ice cream machine but this recipe sounds interesting.
It was so tasty, and now I need to think of a new flavour 🙂