This time of year I start craving berries - raspberries and blueberries and strawberries. They're my favorite fruits and their relatively short seasons make them a special treat. Strawberry season strikes first here in New England and for now, they're the berry I'm primarily eating. I've been buying them in huge quantities, always forgetting that they need to be used in relatively short order if I don't plan on freezing them. I found myself with quite a few strawberries to use recently and I wanted to make a cold treat. I'm not actually a huge fan of strawberry ice cream so that was ruled out, but strawberry sorbet - that sounded perfect!
The nice thing about sorbet is that it's so simple to throw together. You only need a few basic ingredients - the berries, sugar, lemon juice, salt and a little alcohol, if you're so inclined. First, the strawberries are macerated in the sugar, which makes them irresistibly delicious and juicy. Ever since I tasted my first macerated strawberry I've been in love with them and rarely do I eat strawberries now without first macerating them! The strawberries and their juices are pureed along with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and then, if you like, strained to remove all of those pesky seeds so your sorbet will be luxurious and smooth. I skipped the liquor in my sorbet so it froze quite hard, but a few minutes on the counter before scooping solved the problem. Liquor helps keep the sorbet soft and if that's your preferred consistency, you'll want to include the kirsch. The sorbet is refreshing and sweet with intense strawberry flavor, a wonderful treat you'll want to try this berry season!
Strawberry Sorbet
adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
1 pound (450 g) strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1 teaspoon kirsch (optional)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt
In a medium bowl, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar (and kirsch, if using), stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve. Let stand, covered, for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Puree the strawberries and their liquid along with the lemon juice and salt in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. If desired, strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds.
Chill the strawberry mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Yields about 3 cups
19 comments:
I need to save this to make when strawberries are back in season. What a shame that's not until December in South Florida. Supermarket strawberries usually don't taste like much.
Mmm. Strawberry sorbet sounds wonderful. I wonder if I have enough strawberries in the fridge right now? Or maybe I can make a mixed berry version, since I have raspberries & blackberries, too. (Like you, I'm not a fan of strawberry ice cream.)
That looks so incredibly refreshing to me. I'm going to try to take my daughter to PYO strawberries next week - nothing like bringing short people to do your picking for you!
My mouth is watering just reading this. I think I might have to make some.
It's strawberry season here too and I couldn't be happier! My fridge is stuffed with them. I didn't know that about the alcohol...thanks for sharing!
That looks so delicious. Our strawberries are almost ready.
Looks fantastic, and very refreshing:)
The bright red color looks so fresh and appealing to the eyes...! :)
That looks awesome. I'm planning to go strawberry picking next week. I keep getting The Perfect Scoop from the library, but I think I need to buy a copy.
This is very timely. We got so many strawberries here at home!
How refreshing this looks! I've been making jam with my extra strawberries. It just started warming up in San jose a few days ago, and this looks like the way to go as the weather heats up.
What a delightful blog with yummy recipes. Your sensational strawberry sorbet is an inspiration. I am your newest follower and will be back often. Thanks!
looks so refreshing! i love sorbet
I never used to be a fan of sorbets, but they really are wonderful when it's so hot out. And berries are some of my favorite fruits too - blueberries in particular!
Thanks so much for taking over this week for me...your cookies look wonderful.
What a perfect summer treat! I bet the homemade strawberry sorbet is so much better than the store bought sorbet. I can only imagine how incredible the flavor must be. Gorgeous pictures!
This sorbet looks absolutely perfect! I haven't made sorbet with my ice cream maker yet, so I'll have to give it a try!
Sounds delicious!! Thank you for such an awesome recipe!
Such an easy recipe. I made a modification and tried it myself. It was fantastic! http://grubpost.blogspot.com/2010/07/strawberry-sorbet.html Thanks for the idea!
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