4-Ingredient Strawberry Banana Sorbet - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

What are the secrets of sorbet? ›

According to Serious Eats, the optimal sugar concentration for sorbet is 20-30%. Sugar dissolved in water lowers the freezing point of the mixture. The sweet spot of sorbet is all about adding enough sugar to prevent it from freezing solid, while not adding so much sugar that it won't solidify at all.

Tapioca starch (or corn starch): tapioca starch fis our go-to starch to thicken a sorbet mixture, for the velvety texture it creates. If you do not have tapioca starch, you can use corn starch instead, which is not the same, but it still works.

Ice cream machines work by churning / aerating mixtures whilst freezing them. As the mixture freezes, the churning action breaks down large ice crystals, producing that creamy smooth texture we know and love.

2 quarts whole strawberries should yield 1 quart of purée. Add sugar and blend for 30 seconds. Add lemon and salt, blend to incorporate, and adjust to taste. Strain purée and transfer to refrigerator; chill for 2 to 3 hours until very cold.

Sucrose is fairly sweet and doesn't add much body to a syrup. That's why pastry chefs look to liquid sugar like invert sugar, glucose, or dextrose, which all make sorbet creamier when used properly. The easiest alternative sugar—the one you can find in any American supermarket—is plain 'ol non-high-fructose corn syrup.

The optional egg white helps to stabilize, emulsify, and preserve the texture of the sorbet if you are going to keep it in your freezer for a few days.

If your sorbet is rock-hard after churning and freezing: Allow it to sit on the counter for 5 minutes to soften before scooping OR. Melt the base back down to liquid, add more sugar, or a bit of corn syrup, or a splash of alcohol, then re-churn and refreeze.

Tips for the Best Sorbet

Let it thaw until it's liquid again. If it doesn't set, you probably have too much sugar so add additional pureed fruit. If it's the texture of an iceberg, add more sugar. And, if all else fails, toss it in a blender with some rum and have a frozen co*cktail.”

Too much sugar will not only make for a sickeningly sweet dessert, it also reduces the freezing point so that firstly, your sorbet will take ages to freeze, and secondly, it will crystallize as it freezes. Too little sugar and you end up with loads of crunchy ice crystals.

If you add less sugar, the sorbet may not mix together and freeze properly. If there is too much sugar, the sorbet will be too sweet and you risk the sorbet turning grainy. The puree will also turn into a solid fruit block after you freeze.

How do you get rid of ice crystals in sorbet? ›

Glucose- and corn syrups are handy here. Using a little neutral alcohol will also affect the freezing (without actually affecting the flavour), will help fight the growth of the ice crystals and prevent the sorbet from freezing too hard.

This frozen delight contains just fruit and sugar—no dairy. It's often churned in an ice cream maker, which makes it scoopable but not creamy. Restaurants use sorbet as a palate cleanser during multi-course meals because its intense fruit flavor is extra-refreshing.

Sorbet likely originated from a cold dessert made from snow during the time of Ancient Rome or possibly from a similar dessert in Asia. Sorbet is low-fat and dairy-free, a great dessert choice for people who are lactose intolerant or have other dairy allergies. Sorbet is made from fruit, sugar, and water.

For those who need dairy- or gluten-free dessert options, or who cannot eat eggs or nuts, sorbet may be a suitable option. In theory, a fruit sorbet is healthy, but most commercial varieties are based on sugar rather than fruit.

Using a little neutral alcohol will also affect the freezing (without actually affecting the flavour), will help fight the growth of the ice crystals and prevent the sorbet from freezing too hard. But it won't stop the air from abandoning the sorbet.