SORBETS-THE RIGHT WAY
With fresh apricots and sugar.
This Apricot Sorbet is made with just two ingredients: fresh apricots and sugar; yet it is the most amazing apricot sorbet you can create, both in terms of flavour as of texture.
To make this apricot sorbet, we only need to macerate the fresh apricots in the sugar at room temperature, until the sugar dissolves. Afterwards, we put the macerated apricots in the refrigerator until cold, then blend them and churn with the ice cream maker.
All the charm of this recipe lies in the maceration process, during which the sugar gradually melts as it comes into contact with the moisture of the fresh apricots. This is the secret to a perfect fresh apricot flavour and a lovely, smooth sorbet texture, without using any special ingredients.
or see:
Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.
This is a quick overview of the recipe. If you are new to ice cream making, do read the recipe before proceeding.
Put the apricot pieces and the sugar in a bowl. Stir well.
Let them macerate for 2-3 hours at room temperature until the sugar dissolves. Stirring occasionally speeds up the process.
Chill in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours; or until it is thoroughly cold.
Remove the apricot pieces from their syrup with a slotted spoon.
Blend the apricot mixture until smooth and no chunks remain, then gradually add the apricot syrup.
Churn the blended apricot mixture until nice and fluffy.
Put in the freezer for 5-6 hours; or until set.
This sorbet freezes hard in the long term.
You can always bring it back to a perfectly scoopable consistency, by putting it in the refrigerator for one hour.
This recipe makes a 1.2 litre/quart ice cream mixture (before churning), perfect for ice cream makers with a capacity of 1.5 and up to 2 litres/quarts (like Cuisinart ice cream makers).
If you need to scale the ice cream mixture up or down, use this ratio of the ingredients (in weight only):
hulled strawberries 84.4% / sugar 15.6 %
in desired total weight of sorbet mixture.
For example, if you want to make 1000 g (approx. 1 litre) of sorbet mixture, you need:
• 1000 g x 84.4% = 844 g strawberries
• 1000 g x 15.6 % = 156 g sugar
A flexible rubber spatula is good for:
-wiping the bottom of the saucepan when you cook dairy on the stovetop.
-scraping residues from bowls, saucepans etc.
If you do not have one, we strongly encourage you to buy one, preferably a flexible one.
Before starting, make sure that your ice cream maker is ready for churning when needed. This means that if it has a removable freezer bowl, it should be put in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer, usually 24 hours.
If you intend to transfer the sorbet to a container to store it, put this container in the freezer well ahead of time, too; this will prevent the sorbet from melting upon contact with it.
Mix the apricots with the sugar: cut each apricot half in quarters (1000 gr; 35.3 oz.) and put them in a large bowl. Sprinkle the sugar (180 gr; 6.3 oz) over them, squeeze in the lemon juice and give them a stir with a rubber spatula, leaving the spatula in the bowl.
Macerate the apricots: leave the apricots to macerate with the sugar at room temperature for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally with the spatula to help the sugar dissolve. Each time you give a stir, scrape the bottom of the bowl, bringing upwards any undissolved sugar and mixing it with the apricots. TIP: try to avoid anything that will cause loss of sugar from the bowl, like lifting the spatula from the bowl to use it somewhere else.
Chill thoroughly: when all the sugar has dissolved and a syrup has formed, you have to bring the macerated apricots and their syrup to fridge-cold temperature before churning. To chill, use one of the two methods below.
Chill in the fridge overnight: Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours or up to 1 day.
Cover with ice for 3 hours: Put the apricots along with their syrup in a sealable bag and close the bag carefully. Place the bag in a large container/kitchen sink and fully cover it with lots of ice. Leave for 3-4 hours to thoroughly chill.
Before churning, check if they are thoroughly cold:
If needed, add more ice and leave until thoroughly chilled.
Blend the apricots: with a slotted spoon remove the apricots from their syrup, put them in a blender and blend them for one minute to a smooth pulp, adding just enough apricot syrup to get things going.
When no chunks remain, with the blender on, slowly pour in the rest of the syrup, increase the speed to high and blend for 1 minute. You can use a stick blender instead of a regular blender, if you like.
Immediately proceed to churning, while the apricot mixture is cold.
Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Churn: with the machine running, pour the cold apricot blend through the canister and into the ice cream maker.
Leave to churn until fluffed up and steady; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
This sorbet will expand and fluff up during churning. It is ready when it looks smooth and fluffy. The total churning time depends on your ice cream maker and could be anywhere from 30-70 minutes.
To evaluate if it is ready, lift a spoonful; it should be thick enough to stand on the spoon, but it will still be soft. If it looks watery or starts to melt the moment you spoon it, leave it to churn for longer.
In any case, if you feel doubts about the consistency, leave it to churn for ten minutes more. But beware: at this stage, do not expect it to be like store-bought sorbet; for now, it will be softer. It will firm up and become like store-bought sorbet only after it sets in the freezer. So, stop the ice cream maker when the sorbet is steady and fluffy, as described above.
Note that some ice cream makers are programmed to stop after a specific time, which doesn’t make sense because the sorbet may need to churn for more to reach its fullest potential. So, if you notice that your ice cream maker stops on its own and upon checking the sorbet, you find that it is sloppy instead of fluffy, try to turn the machine on again and leave it to churn until it reaches the desired texture.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the sorbet or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the sorbet) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any sorbet attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· cover the ice cream bowl and place it in the freezer
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.
Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.
The setting time for the sorbet largely depends on the type of ice cream maker you use.
It can take :
Note: the times given are indicative. Setting time depends on many factors.
Check it occasionally (approx. every 2 hours; or as needed) while it is in the freezer. The sorbet is ready when it has an internal temperature of about -10ºC / 14ºF. If you do not have a thermometer, to evaluate if the sorbet is set, insert a round tip knife into it, all the way to the bottom:
If the sorbet stays in the removable freezer bowl for too long, it will harden and be difficult to remove or serve.
To make it scoopable again, leave it in the refrigerator to soften. That can take:
(Note: the time given is indicative, time may vary depending on many factors, so do check it occasionally as it sits in the refrigerator.)
When the sorbet is easy to scoop (or it has an internal temperature of approx. -10°C / 14°F if you have a thermometer), you can transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer or serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl.
Straight after churning, the sorbet has a soft consistency and melts immediately upon contact with anything. This makes it impossible to serve or transfer to another container.
Putting it in the freezer after churning sets it and brings it to the right consistency, similar to that of an ice cream parlour’s.
Storing: in the freezer for six months, covered well.
Scooping: this sorbet, like all artisanal sorbets, freezes hard in the long term. You can make it perfectly scoopable again by putting it in the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes until soft; or until its internal temperature reads -11°C / 12°F.
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Will be trying this recipe in the next day or two — just writing now to commend you on the detailed presentation and commentary. (Please keep my email confidential.)
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