Fresh fruit makes cool, sweet treats
Midsummer is the perfect time to take advantage of the bounty of the fruit season. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, and more all become ripe and ready for picking and eating right about now. And there is nothing better than biting into a perfectly ripened, soft peach and having the juice run down your chin as the bright, sweet flavor bursts in your mouth (just have a napkin ready).
But, also, temperatures are soaring! A frozen treat can really hit the spot. Let’s combine the juicy, sweet goodness of the fresh seasonal fruit with our freezers and create a simple, easy dessert that will cap off any summertime outdoor meal.
You’ll need a food processor or a blender that is powerful enough to break down frozen food (countertop or personal size) and a 9” metal or glass bread pan.
General Ingredients
Fresh fruit in season, such as berries or stone fruit (see note)
Sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup
Acid - citrus juice such as lemon, lime or orange juice
Freezing Instructions
Wash your fresh fruit. If they are small berries like raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, leave whole. If they are strawberries, remove the hulls and cut into fours. With stone fruit, cut in half and remove the pit. Then, peel your fruit and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Place your fruit into zip bags, separated by fruit type, and lay flat in a single layer in your freezer to freeze fully overnight.
Note: you can use frozen fruit instead of fresh, and skip the freezing step.
Sorbet Ingredients
16 ounces frozen fruit of your choice
2-4 Tbsp. sweetener of your choice
1-3 Tbsp. citrus juice of your choice
Sorbet Instructions
Add 16 ounces of your fruit to your blender or food processor bowl. Start out with about two tablespoons of your sweetener and one tablespoon of your acid as you begin blending. Blend until your fruit breaks down. You may have to use a little bit of warm water to loosen things up, but only use a teaspoon or two at a time to allow things to blend and get smooth.
As the fruit becomes blended, taste it and see if you would like more sweetener, and more citrus juice added. Blend until the mixture becomes smooth.
Enjoy immediately if you like it a bit softer, or spoon into the bread pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, approximately 1-2 hours. You may need to let your sorbet sit out for a few minutes before scooping if frozen solid.
Scoop into bowls and enjoy.
Pro tip: Adding a teaspoon or two of vodka will keep the sorbet just short of freezing solid, due to the lower freeze point of the alcohol, making it easier to scoop immediately out of the freezer (optional).
