Instant Fruit Sorbets
Adapted from Vegetable Heaven
Yield: 2 cups (1 pint)
Preparation time: 5 minutes, once the fruit is frozen
When your favorite fruit is in season, buy extra, cut it into chunks, and freeze it in sealed plastic bags. This way you'll have the makings for the best (and least expensive) fruit sorbets ever. All you do is partially defrost the fruit, then purée it in the food processor with a little sugar syrup and lemon juice to taste. You don't need an ice cream machine at all! If you have a stash of frozen fruit and a food processor, you're in business.
These are the fruits that work the best for sorbets. Choose only the ripest specimens in season:
Peaches
Apricots
Strawberries (wiped clean, rather than washed)
Cantaloupes
Honeydews
Mangoes
Watermelon (seeds removed)
Papayas
Pears
NOTE: Don't use raspberries or blackberries--the seeds are too crunchy.
Per recipe:
2 cups peeled, cubed fruit (1-inch cubes)
2 to 4 tablespoons Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional, to taste)
- Freeze the fruit in airtight plastic bags until solid.
- About 20 minutes before serving time, remove the fruit from the freezer and let it stand at room temperature. You can also remove the fruit from the freezer up to an hour ahead, and put it in the refrigerator. (You want it to thaw only slightly.)
- Place the fruit in a food processor and pulse until it is finely chopped. Add Simple Syrup to taste (the amount will depend on the ripeness of the fruit--and on you) and long-pulse until very creamy. Serve immediately.
NOTE: You can store the sorbet in the freezer, but it will become very solid, and will need to partially thaw for up to 30 minutes--and then be reprocessed--before serving:
Yield: 2 cups (1 pint)
Preparation time: 5 minutes
The formula for Simple Syrup is easy to remember: Equal parts water and sugar, e.g., 1 cup sugar and 1 cup hot water. Place the sugar in a bowl, add the water, and stir to dissolve. Store in a jar in the refrigerator and use as needed.