Image Credit: JESHOOTS
Is it just me or does each summer get hotter and hotter? Where I live, there is a high of 110 degrees on a regular basis. I mean jeez, someone turn down the furnace, I'm boiling over here!
In temperatures this high, there only seems to be three reasonable solutions; 24/7 air conditioning, a shaded pool, and ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream. Which is pretty simple to get, right?
There is always ice cream, especially in the summer. Unless, of course, you're like me and cannot consume a drop of dairy without a snotty nose and a sour stomach the next day. Or if you just don't like dairy all together, then what do we do?
Well, there are always some good ice cream shops, like the renowned MALAI in Brooklyn, NY, The Creole Creamery in New Orleans, LA or Lappert’s Hawaii, in, well, Kauai, Hawaii. All of these ice cream shops are known for their vegan options and supreme quality. The trouble is, you probably don't live near such places, or live by a personal ice cream dispensary, (although that would be splendid, wouldn't it?), so what now?
Why, sorbet, of course! Sorbet is a wonderfully tasty and refreshing substitute for the classic ice cream cone. And, you can make them at home very easily, with pretty much any fruit.
Some classic flavors are mango, strawberry and coconut. But what if you want even more of a summer twist? With no ice cream maker required? Well, you've come to the perfect place!
What Do You need?
Image Credit: Niki Nagy
Here are the essentials you'll need for your sorbet summer;
A blender or food processor and a pan/pot (pot/pan not needed if using corn syrup)
A freezer-safe dish/bowl
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar (preferably cane sugar)
or Non-high fructose corn syrup
2 pounds of the fruit of your choice, about two bags of frozen fruit (can be bought fresh but must be frozen when sorbet is made)
2 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice (this part is optional, it is just used to cut through the sweetness of the sorbet and create a more complex flavor)
These measurements are for if you intend to make one large batch of a single flavor, so feel free to adjust the measurements to your liking.
Tasty Syrup
Image Credit: Dagny Walter
Now! On to the yummy part, syrup! All you need to do is combine the water and sugar on low heat until it reaches a soft simmer.
Not a boil, just a simmer. Then, set it aside to cool completely. The sugar in the syrup acts as a sweetener for the sorbet, while the water helps with the blending process later on.
OR
You can buy non-high fructose corn syrup from the store and that'll work just as well! This option is a little less sweet, but more convenient and will make the sorbet smoother.
Note: for the homemade syrup, if you plan on making more sorbet in the future, use two cups of water and sugar instead of one, so you'll have extra to store for later! Just put the leftover in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. It will last up to a month.
But what fruit should you use? Well, here are some of my favorite yummy and refreshing fruit combos.
1. Blueberry and Dragonfruit
Image Credit: NYCBRA
This one is a delicious blue and pink bombshell! For this one, you might want to skip the lemon and lime juice, as depending on the season, the blueberries might be a little tart already. Unless you like making that lemon-sucking face, it is a strange but fun feeling.
2. Pineapple Lime
Image Credit: Polina Tankilevitch
A fruit combo that is both sweet and tart! If you want it to be even more tart and tasty, you are welcome to add another tablespoon of lime or lemon juice.
3. Raspberry Mint
Image Credit: Liam Ortiz
If you're like me, you'll love this minty, cool, and refreshing summer treat. Just use raspberries and a few mint leaves. A little goes a long way.
Beware though! Those seeds will get stuck in your teeth if you're one of those people that chews their frozen treats (its truly a superpower).
4. watermelon
Image Credit: Lisa Fotios
The most popular fruit for summer + sorbet?! Heck yeah! This fruit sorbet pairs better with some lemon juice and is very hydrating. If you do freeze some chopped watermelon for this recipe, make sure that it's not watery still, as that will affect the recipe.
5. Peach and coconut
Image Credit: Steve Buissinne
Peaches?! AND coconut?! Why not. All you need is some frozen peaches and some coconut meat. You can get coconut meat by husking any ripe white coconut, or just pre-packaged at your local grocery store.
And if none of those catch your fancy, here are a few honorable mentions:
6. Strawberry Lemon
Image Credit: Kai Reschke
Anything strawberry? Sign me up. Most strawberries are already sweet, so add some lemon to even it out.
7. Spicy Mango
Image Credit: Laker
To achieve this, add a few sprinkles of paprika while blending!
This sorbet is for you if you like hot things in hot weather to distract you from the boiling sun. It's probably just a form of revenge.
8. Grapefruit Blueberry
Image Credit: Brigitte Tohm
You would be surprised how well these two pair together in anything blended.
9. Banana Coconut
Image Credit: Any Lane
Simple and tasty, perfect for young ones or picky eaters.
10. Sweet Pear
Image Credit: Andy Delecluyse
What more can be said? Ripe pears are perfect for sorbet, as they already taste like candy.
Sorbet Time!
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Image Credit: Sebastian Coman Photography
Finally, you've picked your flavor. Now we get to make those frozen treats! Just add your fruit, 1 cup of your syrup, some lemon or lime juice, and blend!
After your sorbet has been properly blended, thoroughly making sure there are no chunks of fruit in the mixture, put your sorbet in a freezer-safe dish, for example, a freezer-safe glass dish covered with plastic wrap.
But you never want to freeze anything somewhat liquid in an airtight container, and even though sorbet is awesome, I doubt you want it exploding in your freezer.
Let freeze for at least 6 hours, up to 24 hours for the best results.
Serve, and enjoy!
There! See how easy that was? Not bad for some sweet treats.
Now you can have it all; the baking loaf that is earth in the summer, 24/7 air conditioning, and some sweet sorbet, sour stomach and runny nose free. Plus, you can use pretty much any fruit too, as long as its freezable, blendable, and you can get a decent amount of it, it'll work just fine!
And you can make it in the cool safety of your home, instead of going all the way to Hawaii for some release from the heat. Although I'm sure its delectable, not many of us have the time for that, ya know?
You can make a freezer full of sorbet to even it out though. So worth it.
Enjoy your sorbet, stay cool and creative folks.
