Yes, I have, and this is a bad idea (strawberry + mint). The problem is that the herbs become harder than the ice cream, creating an unpleasant sensation in the mouth. I had a similar issue with a toffee ice cream where I tried incorporating small cubes, but they became too hard when frozen.

One possible solution could be to candy the herbs (though it’s a lot of work) or to soften the toffee by turning it into a kind of cream, freezing it separately, and then folding it into the ice cream at the last moment. This challenge is addressed in the article,

>We need to add sugar to the fruit to make sure it is softer than the ice cream itself – you don’t want to bite into ice cream and find a hard, frozen berry.

and considering you almost never see artisanal ice creams with chunks (unlike industrial ones like Ben & Jerry’s, for example), this is where culinary engineering becomes essential I guess.

Perhaps if you grind the herbs very finely they'll disperse better in the ice cream

Indeed this is what I do with lemon zests. I put them in a blender with the juice for 10 minutes at maximum power (as a result, the mixture must become hot). Add two egg whites beaten into stiff peaks for 3/4L, and you'll get the softest, tastiest lemon ice cream you've ever eaten.

If one is too lazy to infuse, it’s nice to add homemade caramel or compote. Snacks like Lotus biscuits are excellent too.

Or infuse them in the milk/cream and then strain out?

If you don't care about having the bits for texture and only care about the taste you could infuse the cream. Heat the cream (stop before boiling of course), add the bits, let it rest for a while and then sieve it. I will add some time but it should work.

I'm also not a fan of ice cream with solid stuff. If you can't lick it pleasurably, it's not really ice cream in my book.

I would blend the herbs in rum, then strain and use the rum with simple syrup.

Similar to this: https://www.seriouseats.com/dave-arnolds-thai-basil-daiquiri...

>The problem is that the herbs become harder than the ice cream, creating an unpleasant sensation in the mouth.

The obvious solution to this is to make an syrup infusion and use that instead of sugar or as a topper.

I make herb and floral syrup all the time. I do 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, handful of herbs. Heat and simmer for around 10 minutes. Strain.

I see what you mean about the herbs and the texture issue...