In a large saucepan combine 2 cups of the sugar and the gelatin. Stir in half-and-half or light cream. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture almost boils and sugar dissolves. Stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs; return all of the mixture to the saucepan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Do not boil. Stir in whipping cream, vanilla, and, if desired, red food coloring. Cool.

In a small mixing bowl combine sliced strawberries and the remaining sugar. Use a pastry blender or potato masher to slightly crush the strawberries; stir into cooled custard.

Freeze in a 4- or 5-quart ice-cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions. Let ripen 4 hours.* Makes about 3 quarts (24 1/2-cup servings).

To ripen ice cream, after churning, remove lid and dasher and cover top of freezer can with waxed paper or foil. Plug hole in lid; replace lid. Pack the outer freezer bucket with enough ice and rock salt to cover the top of the freezer can, using 4 cups ice to 1 cup salt.