HOW TO: Make a refreshing sorbet

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OK, so summer is definitely coming on strong at the moment. With temperatures in the Cape reaching highs of 34° and up (also showing no signs of cooling down too much), keeping cool and refreshed is becoming more and more difficult. A few months ago, I blogged about websites for “web 2.0 chefs“.  During the research for this post, I discovered some awesome websites that I have made use of since then. The recipe I used for reference for this sorbet (thanks must go to Jamie Oliver) was found using Cookstr, a great resource for finding recipes to suit your exact requirements (budget, meal, season, etc).

In the incredible heat over this weekend past, I created a basic sorbet (leaving one or two flavours out of the recipe linked above). I found it to be very refreshing. This is how I did it:

You will need:

1 cup of water.
¾ cup of sugar (I used brown. It changes the colour slightly but is possibly healthier than white).
Juice and zest of 2-3 lemons (use as many as you like. It depends how sour you like it. 2-3 compliments the sugar nicely.)

OK, this is how you do it:

1. Bring the water and sugar to a boil on the stove, making sure to stir and disolve the sugar. Once boiling, simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Once simmered, remove from the stove and allow to cool for a bit (use this time to get your lemons ready).
3. Once cooled, mix in the lemon juice and zest.
4. Pour into a tupperware container and store in the freezer.

This should take around 2 hours to set. I left mine in for a bit longer. Check up on it every so often and judge when you feel it’s ready.

I’ve since tried this recipe with berry juice to replace the lemons. It may end up being a tad sweet. I’m keen to check it out though. When the weather just isn’t calming down, here’s another way to get refreshed and cool down a bit.

Image Courtesy: Cookstr.

Do you have a sorbet recipe? How did the above recipe work out for you? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

Comments

10 responses to “HOW TO: Make a refreshing sorbet”

  1. justB[coz] Avatar
    justB[coz]

    That simple eh?

    Awesome! Will definitely give this a try … thank you Matt =)

    Reply
    1. Matty Avatar
      Matty

      Thanks Sue. Yep, very simple. 🙂

      Let me know how it turns out. Enjoy. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Justin Avatar
    Justin

    I do something similar with grapefruit and lime juice. Takes the edge off the sugar. In fact I have one in the freezer right now:) I also find it sets better if you whisk it (vigorously!) every hour.

    Reply
    1. Matty Avatar
      Matty

      Thanks Justin. Sounds awesome! 🙂

      Will definitely give the lime juice a try… not a major grapefruit guy. 😛

      Whisking… ah, never thought of that. I do stir it every hour or so, never thought of vigorous whisking though. 🙂

      Reply
  3. justB[coz] Avatar
    justB[coz]

    Right then. I have mine in the freezer as I type this … hoping it’ll be ready in time for dessert tonight. I’ve had a taste and it’s really good WOOHOO!

    Reply
    1. Matty Avatar
      Matty

      Yay! 🙂 Was it ready for dessert? How many lemons did you use? SO glad it’s worked out thus far. 🙂

      Reply
  4. justB[coz] Avatar
    justB[coz]

    It worked a treat!

    Wasn’t ready for dessert … I actually left it in the freezer overnight but today it’s perfect =)

    I tripled the recipe and used 8 lemons.

    YUMNESS!

    Reply
    1. Matty Avatar
      Matty

      8 lemons?! Yowzer. 😛

      Must definitely give that a try. Sounds amazing.

      @SnappingTurtle had an awesome idea of using frozen berries. I want to give that a go as well. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Xandi Avatar
    Xandi

    i use 1 litre of fruit juice or pulp to 1 cup of liquid glucose … i know its sometomes hard to find glucose in the supermarket … but it keeps the sorbet “scoopable” for much longer and works with any fruit, as the recipe you have give will ultimately not work for paw paw and mango … as these fruits sugar content is different to that of berries and citrus fruits … give it a try with the glucose … and incase you were wondering … it has no effect on the taste … it just makes it awesome!!!

    Reply
    1. Matty Avatar
      Matty

      Hey Xand. Thanks so much. 🙂

      Will definitely try the glucose when time allows. I totally see where you’re coming from with the difference in sugar content and how it will affect the recipe. 🙂

      Any other tips? 🙂

      Reply

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