I’ve made many sorbets, but this recipe was one of the easiest and one of the very best. Adding vodka or kirsch liqueur helps to freeze the fruit just right, rather than into one block of solid ice. When our local fresh strawberries are in season, I have to make a refreshing sorbet!
Sorbets have got to be one of the easiest frozen desserts to make– other than granitas. I’ve made my fair share of them, and Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit is one of my top favorite flavors. I’ve made sorbets by making a simple syrup with great results.
Living in the Salinas Valley, I shop at my local farm stand that is appropriately named “The Farm”. I appreciate that their produce is grown organically.
I happened to have a bottle of kirsch (for making a future fondue) so I decided to try the recipe for Strawberry Sorbet. I liked that I didn’t have to make a simple syrup, because I would have to chill it for a while.
The ingredients and steps are simple:
Fresh sliced strawberries, kirsch (just a little and you don’t have to use it), sugar, fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
The strawberries were so naturally sweet, that I didn’t have to use a lot of extra sugar. Taste your berries and adjust to your needs.
After an hour, I used my immersion blender to puree the berries. I decided not to strain them because I kind of like the crunch of the seeds.
If you don’t own an ice cream maker, they have really come down in price, since the days of the manual versions. I once had the type where you use ice and salt but why bother? My bowl is kept in my upright freezer so all I do is add the chilled mixture and 15 minutes later…
A beautiful deep red frozen strawberry sorbet is ready!
Well… almost. I did put it in the freezer for about an hour.
I have several recipes I would like to share with all of you– but, I have returned to work. I’m really busy registering new students for the school year, so I’ll be pretty scarce until the weekends.
TASTING NOTES: I just love that rich, red color of our locally grown organic strawberries. They are so juicy and sweet! This is less fattening than ice cream, and so refreshing– especially on a warm summer day. I can’t wait to make this again!
The Best Strawberry Sorbet
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries rinsed and hulled
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon kirsch liqueur or vodka; optional, but worth it
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Slice the strawberries and toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar. Add the kirsch, if using, and stir until the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Cover and let the fruit stand for 1 hour, stirring every so often.
- Puree’ the strawberries, their liquid, the lemon juice and salt in a blender or food processor (I use an immersion blender) until smooth. You can press the mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds if you wish, but I skip this step. (The seeds weren’t a problem to anyone at all.)
- Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Notes
Nutrition
Deb, that is such a luscious deep red- I love it!
I have this book too, but haven't made anything out of it. Here's my problem. I have an ice cream maker but it takes forever for the mixture to freeze properly. I'm not sure why, so i don't use it. I'm not even sure where it is.
But we have a White Mountain ice cream mixer that is amazing but it requires salt and ice- a pain. So unless I'm making a large batch of ice cream, I usually don't bother. I like when I find recipes that don't require either!
What a tease you are! I know what goes under those berries and it's a shame I have to wait til this weekend! But I can't wait!
Beautiful – what a lovely way to highlight the goodness of those juicy strawberries!
Love the color of that sorbet.. I have to buy myself an ice cream maker, there are so many delicious recipes out there.. I am missing out as is my family. I am going to check prices today! You inspiration, you!
Nature always produces the most beautiful colours. This looks delicious! That broccoli at the market looks wonderful too.
Oooh this looks beautiful! I have yet to try out this recipe. We need to track down some Kirch!
Yummy! I have made a couple of recipes from the Perfect Scoop…you will NOT be disappointed!
Debby, What a beautiful sorbet! The color is extraordinary! We're really into ice cream making this summer with the machine we bought for Father's Day, so we'll def'ly have to try this. Oh yes, in regard to the horsies . . . I DID, in fact, have to borrow fromt their carrot stash! Only another horse-lover would know that little piece of knowledge! LOL! Happy trails and cooking! Love, Roz in SC OH, P.S. Joy on the Joy of Desserts has a vintage Thursday line of posts and she has been focusing on ice cream recipes. This week it was peach….YUM! If you drop by her blog; tell her I said "Hello from peachy SC"
Gorgeous sorbet. I'm now asking myself why did I give that ice cream maker away. Guess I'm going to have to get another one so I won't miss this wonderful treat.
Sam
The sorbet looks wonderful and refreshing. I recently made a chocolate ice cream from the same cookbook-haven't blogged it yet, but it turned out unbelievably good!
Going to make apricot sorbet today…also, I gave you an award!
Debby, this looks wonderful…I can only imagine how flavorful..I will make this one next.
I used his recipe for watermelon sorbet last night…try it!