Stunted Western Slope stone-fruit crop notwithstanding, there seems to be a lot of fruit hanging around this season. You can jam, or you can jar, and when you’re tired of those two methods, you can whir some up in the food processor and freeze it into sorbet. We made this recipe using blueberries and disregarded the instructions to strain the puree because the deep-purple sorbet looks a little more interesting when it’s flecked with blue.
Berry Sorbet
This recipe from “The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook” can be used to make any fruit sorbet. Follow the master recipe using whatever kind of fruit, or combination of fruits, you like. Freshly squeezed juice makes a big difference in the flavor of this sorbet. Feel free to substitute any liquor that complements the flavor of the sorbet, such as flavored vodkas, schnapps and so on. The sorbet can be held in the freezer, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to a week. Makes about 1 1/2 pints.
Ingredients
- 3 cups berries (use only 2 1/2 cups if using just blueberries)
- 1 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vodka or berry liqueur (optional)
Directions
Pulse the fruit, sugar and salt together in a food processor until combined, about 15 pulses. With the machine running, pour the remaining ingredients through the feed tube and continue to process until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Strain the mixture into a large bowl and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 1 hour.
Pour the chilled mixture into the ice cream machine canister and churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions, until the mixture resembles soft-serve ice cream. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and press plastic wrap flush against the surface. Cover the container and freeze the sorbet until firm, about 3 hours.
