Frances learned about sorbet because she was desperate. “One of my kids is extremely hyper and won’t slow down for anything. He overheats in the summer! So dairy doesn’t end well. I felt bad because my other kids were eating pralines and crème. A popsicle just wouldn’t cut it. So I needed an alternative.”
Gelato didn’t work because it’s still dairy and anyway, the gooier texture just didn’t appeal to her ice cream loving son. She happened to mention her dairy dilemma to a Miami chef visiting her workplace who told her, “do sorbet, the kid’ll be fine.”
And so began her sorbet sojourn.
Sorbet is a scoopable dessert made with frozen fruits, juices and sugar. Frances said that her son was “not a big fruit eater so this was a good way to get more fruit in his mouth.”
“Sorbet can be as healthy or unhealthy as you like! The variations are endless.”
To start a sorbet, you choose your mix of fruits—blueberries, peaches, strawberries. If you plan on eating it immediately, you may want to chop and freeze your fresh fruit first for a better consistency. Add a bit of tangy citrus to keep things fresh and a
bit of sweetener. Juice or water to keep it blending and get it mixed. That’s it!
While there are no hard fast rules to sorbet design, here’s a helpful recipe to get you started.
Pick-a-flavor Sorbet
- 2 pints of your favorite fruits (2 pints of fruit yields 1 pint sorbet)
- 1 tbspn sweetener like honey, sugar, agave or equal
- Juice of one lemon or lime (1 tablespoon if using pre-squeezed)
- Water or juice to adjust the consistency
Whip in a blender, food processor or with a hand blender until you reach your desired thickness. If it’s a bit watery, add more frozen fruit or pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Grab a spoon and enjoy!
