Toss sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice, then let macerate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Visual cue: the berries should look glossy and juicy with some liquid pooling.

Mash or blend the strawberries into a chunky puree, then refrigerate until cold. Visual cue: you should still see visible berry pieces in the puree.

Whisk egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until pale and thick. Visual cue: the mixture should lighten in color and ribbon off the whisk.

Heat the heavy cream and whole milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming, then slowly whisk into the egg yolks. Visual cue: the custard should look smooth after tempering with no egg streaks.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens to 170-175°F on a thermometer. Visual cue: it should coat the back of a spoon.

Strain the custard, stir in vanilla extract and salt, then cool completely. Visual cue: the custard should look glossy and uniform after straining.

Refrigerate the custard at least 2 hours until very cold. Visual cue: it should be fully chilled with a thicker, spoonable body.

Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions, adding the strawberry puree in the last 5 minutes. Visual cue: the ice cream should become visibly thicker and scoopable as it churns.

Transfer the churned ice cream to a container, then freeze at least 2 hours until firm. Visual cue: the surface will look set and the texture will hold a clean scoop.