How do you make sorbet?

Sorbet is a fruit-based frozen dessert that blends fruit, sugar and water. It is similar to ice cream, but does not involve any cream, milk or yogurt.

Homemade Sorbet Recipe

This recipe was originally published on The Kitchn. It is a flexible recipe that works with any type of fresh fruit.

Prep time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Freeze time: 4 hours and 15 minutes

Ready in: 5 hours and 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh fruit
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice

Specialty equipment:

• Food processor or blender
• Ice cream machine

1. Prepare the ice cream machine

Freeze the bowl of the ice cream machine for at least 24 hours before using.

2. Chop the fruit

Wash the fruit and remove peels, pits or stems. Chop or slice the fruit into small pieces.

3. Make a simple syrup

Mix the sugar and water together in a small saucepan. Turn on the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar for around 5 minutes. When the sugar is dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool.

4. Blend the fruit

Blend the fruit and half of the simple syrup in a food processor or blender. Add more syrup to taste. It should be a little bit too sweet to taste, as freezing neutralizes some of the sweetness of the syrup. The levels of sugar depend on the type of fruit used and how ripe it is. To test sugar levels, dunk an egg into the mixture. If a nickle-sized part of the shell shows, the sugar levels are ideal. If less of the shell shows above the mixture, add more syrup.

5. Chill the fruit base

Stir the lemon juice into the fruit base. Cover the mixture and chill it in the fridge for around 1 hour.

6. Add the sorbet to the ice cream machine

Churn the sorbet in the ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. This usually takes around 15 minutes.

7. Freeze the sorbet

Freeze the sorbet in containers. Keep the mixture in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.