Sorbet recipes! Yum

Plum sorbet!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups of sliced plums, pits removed
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier (optional)

METHOD

1 Place the sliced plums, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a blender and purée until very smooth. Push the plum puree through a fine mesh sieve to catch and large pieces of skin and discard them.

2 Mix the Grand Marnier to the purée just before churning. Place the purée in an ice cream machine and churn according to instructions, for approximately 25 minutes. Serve immediately or place in an air tight container and put in the freezer for two hours to firm up.

Cranberry Sorbet

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces fresh or thawed frozen cranberries (about 3 1/2 cups), washed and drained, stems removed and discarded, bruised or spoiled cranberries discarded
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups white cranberry juice
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh lime or orange zest

METHOD

1 Place cranberries, sugar, water, white cranberry juice, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until all of the berries have popped and the sugar has dissolved.

2 Cool for 10 minutes. Working in batches, purée in a blender until smooth. Press through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and pulp; discard seeds and pulp. Stir in corn syrup and zest. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, several hours or preferably overnight.

3 Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Right out of the ice cream maker the sorbet will be rather soft. If you would like it firmer, transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and put in your freezer for a couple of hours. Once frozen, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature before serving.

Rhubarb Sorbet

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 cups of chopped fresh rhubarb (4-5 stalks)
• 2 1/2 cups of water
• 1 2/3 cups of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of orange zest
• 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons of corn syrup

METHOD

1 Place rhubarb, sugar, water, salt, orange zest, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb easily falls apart and the sugar has dissolved.

2 Cool for 10 minutes. Working in batches, purée in a blender until smooth. Press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the pulp; discard the pulp. Stir in corn syrup. Cover and refrigerate until totally chilled, several hours or overnight. (Can more quickly chill in the freezer if you check it and stir it every 15 minutes.)

3 Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. The sorbet will have a soft texture right out of the ice cream maker. If you would like a firmer consistency, transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in freezer for several hours. Once frozen, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature to soften before serving.

Blueberry Sorbet

INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, rinsed, stems removed and discarded
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch salt
• Fresh blueberries and sprigs of mint for garnish

METHOD

1 Place the blueberries, sugar, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to coat blueberries with the sugar. Mash with a potato masher.

2 Put the mashed blueberries into a blender and blend for a couple of minutes until smooth.

3 Place a sieve over a large bowl and working in batches, press the mixture through the sieve, using a rubber spatula. This will catch the tougher and larger pieces of lemon and blueberry peel.

4 Chill the mixture for at least an hour in the fridge. Then process following the directions of your ice cream maker.

Eat immediately (the sorbet will still be a little soft) or freeze at least a few hours to help firm up before eating. Eat soon after making though, as the sorbet will get progressively harder the longer it stays in the freezer.

Serve with a few fresh blueberries and a sprig of mint.