Incredible Summer Sorbets

Sorbet is a cold dessert that does not contain cream, milk, or eggs. Typically, sorbet is made with sugar and a flavoring ingredient that is either liquid, or that can be mixed with sugar and water, then frozen. Sorbet uses fruit, juice, or other liquid but no cream. A fair number of sorbets can be made using herbs and flowers, like rosemary, roses, and lavender if you start by making "simple syrup," a mixture of water and sugar that you heat to a boil to make sure all the sugar dissolves, and the syrup thickens. You'll notice that a great many sorbet recipes begin by having you mix sugar and water (though the proportions vary) while others start with a fruit juice base. You can also combine fruits and tastes; mango and lemon, or lime, a citrus mix of lemon, lime, orange) strawberry and peach. All sorts of things work really well, and it's lots of fun in the summer to have low sugar but naturally sweet sorbet from strawberries, mangos, raspberries, green tea, peaches, coffee, all sorts of fruit juices, including pomengranate, homemade margarita mix . . . The Northwest is so rich with berry fruits that sorbet is a perfect summer dessert. Sorbet tends to be fruit based, but you can make lovely sorbet with coffee, or green tea, or even wine (though the alcohol can make freezing tricky). Sorbet is a super dessert for hot summers, and it's so very quick and easy that you can even prepare several varieties, then serve a sample of each in a dish; the colors and flavors can be chosen to complement or contrast. As a basic model, here's a recipe for lemon sorbet. Feel free to adjust the lemon juice and sugar to suit your taste, and the tartness of the lemons, raising or lowering the sugar by as much as a third of a cup. As a general guide, if you have two cups of liquid, you need at least two thirds of a cup of sugar. The zest also should be adjusted for taste.

Lemon Sorbet (About a pint)

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Procedure

1. In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil.
2. When the mixture reaches a boil, and the sugar is completely dissolve, turn off the burner.
3. Add the lemon juice and the zest to the syrup.
4. Let the syrup cool. Putting it in the freezer until it is chilled but not frozen can speed this up, otherwise, if you have time, cover the syrup and let it chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or even overnight.
5. Pour the cooled syrup into the chilled bowl of your ice cream machine.
6. Freeze the sorbet according to the manufacturer's instructions.
7. After the sorbet is made, put it into an airtight container in your freezer.
8. It's better the next day, if you can wait that long.

There are endless variations you can make using this as a basic recipe. You can use orange or lime, or other juices, adjusting the sugar to taste, but keeping in mind you really need at least half a cup for most sorts of fruit, and two thirds of a cup of sugar for most juices.

There are lots of lovely kinds of sorbet. If I had to choose a favorite recipe, mine would be this recipe for Meyer Lemon sorbet from Elise Bauer. I like it even better than her recipe for Mango, Lime, Tequila Sorbet. And I've just notice Elise has a recipe for a champagne sorbet that I'll be trying very very soon.

If you'd like to try something different, here's a sorbet recipe that uses Lilac, Lavender, and Roses for color and flavor. There are many recipes for sorbet based on herbs and flowers. Try combining Pomegranate juice with Tangerine or other citrus to make a lovely tropical sorbet.