Raspberry Sorbet

Nothing beats the summer heat like a frosty bowl of ice cream!  Apparently I am not the only one that thinks this way in Arlington though.  The hot weather lead me right to the grocery store for a pint of sorbet when lo and behold… they were out.  Like completely out.  Like no ice cream out.  WHAT?!  Okay, to be fair they did have two sad pints in the back corner… but they were sugar free… yikes!! The horror!!! Where did all the real stuff go?! No matter, I will make my own!  And thus this super simple raspberry sorbet was born.  No need for Haagen Dazs with this recipe in your back pocket.

This was delicious.  I have always been a big fan of the light, tart flavors of sorbet.  No better way to enjoy a summer night than with a bowl of sorbet and a spoon.  Without a plan in mind I wander over to the produce section to see what I could find.  There were raspberries everywhere and better yet they were all on sale!  And that is the story of how fate picked my sorbet flavor 🙂

This recipe is super simple and easy.  You can easily toss this together while you get dinner ready and have a fantastic fresh dessert ready when you’re done.  Substitute the raspberries for strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries if you like.  Better yet toss them all in for a quadruple berry blast!

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 cups fresh (or frozen and defrosted) raspberries

2 T. fresh orange juice

1 T. orange zest

1) In a sauce pan combine the sugar and water and whisk to dissolve.  Over medium heat bring the mixture to a simmer.

2) Add in the raspberries and bring the mixture back to a simmer.  Allow the mixture to simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the raspberries break down.

3) Remove the mixture from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Pass the mixture through a strainer or mesh sieve if you prefer a seedless mixture.  For me this was easiest to pour the mixture into a sieve in batches and use a rubber spatula to push the mixture through.  Don’t worry, it won’t take long and it’s worth your time to have a smooth, creamy sorbet.

4) Place the mixture in an ice cream maker and follow the manufacture’s instructions.  When the ice cream is finished place in an airtight container and store for up to 10 days.