Summertime means fresh, ripe strawberries are available at California Strawberries. We have some great strawberry recipes for all kinds of things you can make with fresh, ripe strawberries. Here’s how you can turn your strawberries into delicious sorbet for the perfect summertime treat:
Traditional Way to Make Sorbet
Traditional Italian sorbet is made from sugar syrup and water. The mixture must be churned in an ice cream machine until it reaches a frozen but creamy consistency. It can be more difficult to make traditional sorbet compared to ice cream because there isn’t any fat or dairy to help smooth out the sorbet mixture.
While you can make sorbet with only sugar, syrup, and water, most sorbet contains at least one type of fruit. The quality of the fruit you choose has a huge impact on the sorbet’s flavor and texture when frozen.
When you are making traditional fruit sorbet, make sure to use the best, freshest fruit available. The best types of fruit to use are fruits high in fiber or high in pectin. These fruits will give your traditional sorbet the ideal thickness.
Your sorbet recipe is just as important as the quality and type of fruit you choose to use. The ratios should be balanced so the sorbet freezes correctly in the ice cream machine. Recipes that are unbalanced can result in your sorbet being riddled with ice crystals or not creamy enough.
To make your sorbet mixture, follow the recipe instructions on how to make your sugar syrup. Once you have sugar syrup, you will mix in the blended fruit of your choice. Churn the fruit and sugar syrup mixture in an ice cream machine until you see the smooth, creamy texture.
The exact churning time will depend on a number of factors, including the recipe, your machine, and the current temperature.
No-Churn Sorbet Making Method
If you don’t have an ice cream machine or a way to churn your sorbet, you can make a non-traditional sorbet with a no-churn method. There are a few different ways to make delicious sorbet with a no-churn method.
First, you must make the sugar syrup. Your recipe will probably call for sugar, water, and corn syrup. It may or may not include a squeeze of lemon, lime, or other citrus juice.
Next, you must blend the fruit down to a liquid. You can use a blender, food processor, immersion blender, or even a juicer. Once the fruit is relatively smooth, you should strain the liquid to remove the seeds.
Combine the sugar syrup with the blended fruit. If needed, reduce the mixture by gently simmering it on the stovetop until it’s slightly thickened. Finally, place the mixture in a pan or other container and freeze it until you reach the desired consistency.
How to Eat Sorbet
There are etiquette rules to eating sorbet. Sorbet is usually served in one of two ways. The first way is as a palate cleanser and the second way is as a dessert.
When you are served sorbet as a palate cleanser it is usually at the beginning of the meal or before the next course in a multi-course meal. If you are served sorbet as a palate cleanser you should eat the sorbet with a fork. Most restaurants will serve the sorbet palate cleanser with a small fork.
Sorbet, when served as a desert at the end of a meal, should be eaten with a spoon. You will usually get a spoon to use with the sorbet. This is the more common way to eat sorbet in the modern-day.
Top Three No-Churn Strawberry Sorbet Recipes
Using strawberries as the base fruit of your sorbet recipe allows you to make hundreds of variations of delicious sorbet. Here are our three favorite no-churn strawberry sorbet recipes.
1. Strawberry Mint Sorbet
Strawberry-mint is a classic flavor combination. Our strawberry mint sorbet recipe is a three-ingredient recipe that uses coconut milk, frozen strawberries, and mint leaves. Your sorbet is ready instantly with the help of a blender.
2. Strawberry-Ginger Sorbet
This is another three-ingredient sorbet that you’re sure to enjoy. Simply freeze chunks of fresh strawberry, apple juice, and fresh ginger root into a block. Once frozen, break the block into smaller chunks and blend until smooth.
3. Skinny Strawberry Sorbet
Our skinny strawberry sorbet recipe is the easiest no-churn recipe for sorbet you will find. Simply blend 12 ounces of frozen strawberries with four or five fresh strawberries until you reach a thick, creamy texture. It’s so delicious you’ll want to eat it straight from the blender!
Where to Find More California Strawberry Recipes
At California Strawberries, we love to share strawberry recipes for you to try. If you’re looking for more ideas on how to use your strawberries, check out hundreds of our favorite recipes online. We offer delicious, fresh strawberries for you.
