Peel and dice peaches and combine them with ½ cup of sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract. Mix well and let the peaches rest in this combo for about 60 minutes, at room temperature, until the mixture is syrupy and the peaches have softened.
In a small blender or food processor, puree the peach mixture until smooth.
To make the custard base, heat the cream, milk, ¼ cup of sugar, and salt in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Do not let the mixture boil – you don’t want to burn the cream!
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with ¼ cup of sugar until well combined.
Temper the eggs by very slowly adding ½ cup of the hot cream mixture to the egg mix. Stir continuously for a minute or so, then slowly add another ½ cup of cream. Continue stirring, then repeat the process once more.
Once the eggs have been tempered, pour them into the saucepan with the remaining custard base and stir over low- medium heat for several minutes (again, don’t bring it to a boil!). You’ll know that the custard is ready when it starts to become thicker and lightly coats the back of a spoon. If you’re using a thermometer, you’re looking for a temperature of about 175°.
Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the custard into a clean bowl to remove any lumpy bits of egg that may have formed.
Combine the custard base with the pureed peach mixture and stir well to combine.
Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 2 hours, or until fully chilled. (This is important since the ice cream will have a hard time setting if it’s not cold when it goes into your ice cream maker.)
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the instructions for churning until it starts to thicken and freeze.
Transfer to a container and place in the freezer until frozen. If using a pan, cover well with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic wrap to the top of the ice cream. This will prevent ice crystals from forming on the top of your ice cream.
If serving after frozen, allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for about 5 - 10 minutes after taking it out of the freezer to soften.