Strawberry Lime Sorbet

It’s strawberry season again! The start of summer is always accompanied by these beautiful, bright red fruits. As always, these berries are at their most delicious right now (at least in our neck of the woods). So go support your local berry farm and load up on strawberries while they are in season! Bought too many? No problem. Just freeze the rest! Frozen strawberries are the focus of this sorbet recipe that exudes strawberry flavour!

Since strawberries are the star of this sorbet recipe, make sure to pick the best ones possible. Have you ever compared strawberries bought from a grocery store to those picked fresh from a bush at a berry farm? If so then you probably understand that there is. No. Comparison. Freshly-picked, in-season strawberries are bright red, sweet yet tart and super juicy.

As mentioned above, the best strawberries can be obtained from local berry farms during the summer months. Nothing beats the juiciness and flavour from in-season berries. Without having to be shipped long distance like grocery store berries they are instead picked straight from the plant when perfectly ripe and are in your hands to be used that same day. Stock up on these strawberries when you can and freeze them asap to preserve their taste over the colder months. This way, your fresh strawberry supply can last well past their growing season. Properly stored frozen fruits can last up to a year in the freezer!

Strawberry Freezing Instructions:

1. Rinse/wash the strawberries well, getting rid of any external dirt or debris.

2. Dry the berries using a clean towel or use paper towels.

3. Cut off the green leaves near the top. Strawberries can be frozen whole or sliced in halves/quarters.

4. Lay the whole or sliced strawberries in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for an hour or two.

5. Once the strawberries have frozen, transfer them to a freezer-proof bag. Make sure to squeeze out all the air from the bag before sealing and freezing to avoid freezer burn damage on the fruits. If you have a vacuum-sealer, even better.

6. Pop the bag of strawberries in the freezer!

The frozen strawberries can be used in many different ways. Frozen fruits can be puréed while still frozen to make smoothies, popsicles, ice creams and sorbets. Or, they can be cooked to make compotes, jams, pie fillings, etc. Basically, they can be used in anything that is either baked/heated or meant to stay frozen that doesn’t require them to keep their original shape.

~ If you don’t have an ice cream machine, I highly suggest you consider adding it to the top of your kitchen appliance wish list. It opens up a whole new world of fun frozen treats!

Sorbet is incredibly simple to make so long as you have access to a food processor/blender and an ice cream machine. No need to spend time tempering eggs to make a custard. Instead, make a simple syrup, blend it with frozen fruit to make a purée, and then introduce some air by churning the mixture in an ice cream machine! Three simple steps.

To get started, make a simple syrup by stirring 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 a cup of water together over medium heat until the sugar granules have completely dissolved. Remove from the stove top and set aside to cool down. There will be about 3/4 cup of simple syrup to work with. Once the simple syrup has chilled, combine it with fresh lime juice, cranberry juice and lime zest. This recipe uses a simple syrup with a higher ratio of sugar to water to make up for the tartness from the fresh lime juice and cranberry juice. Leave this mixture in the fridge until it has chilled or overnight. The colder the mixture is before making the fruit purée the better the final sorbet will taste, so be patient and let it cool fully. I’ve even left the mixture in the fridge for 2 days before to fantastic results!

Next, make a fruit purée by adding the frozen strawberries and simple syrup mixture to a food processor or blender. Whichever piece of equipment you are more comfortable working with. If using the food processor, slowly pour the simple syrup mixture in through the top hole while the food processor is on low before ramping up the speed to high. Blend until the purée is smooth with no chunks of strawberries left.

Finally, time to breathe some life into your sorbet. Adding air: the most crucial step to ice cream or sorbet-type desserts; highly necessary for making a fluffy, smooth, melt-on-your-tongue experience. Turn on your ice cream maker and watch the magic happen.

Keep in mind, the length of time it takes to churn the sorbet will depend on your specific ice cream machine. The Cuisinart 2 Quart Ice Cream Maker takes about 15 minutes. If your machine uses a freezer bowl, make sure it has spent 24-48 hours in the freezer before you start. Machines with built-in refrigeration may require a different amount of time.

It's important not to over-churn the sorbet. The perfect consistency is somewhere between a smoothie and ice cream texture. If too much air is added, the sorbet will be too thick and won't transfer nicely to the freezer container. Before the sorbet has fully thickened- about 15 minutes churning time for me- transfer it to the final container. It should transfer smoothly with no air pockets caught in between the sorbet.

Check out the pictures below to get a good idea of what the sorbet-churning progression looks like at 0, 5, 10 and 15 minutes:

Sorbet tips to keep in mind:

- Temperature, ratio of ingredients and time play a critical role in the crystal formation when making frozen desserts.

- The colder the fruit puree is at the start, the faster it will freeze when adding air which means the smaller the ice crystal formation.

- Pre-chill the container you are going to keep the sorbet stored in. By cooling down the container beforehand, the sorbet won’t melt upon coming into contact with the sides after it’s been transferred.

Take your sorbet a step further…

This sorbet is perfect when enjoyed on its own as a cool, refreshing dessert or you can use it to spice up your favourite berry smoothie recipe by adding a scoop. Bonus: blend this sorbet with some ice and rum for a delicious strawberry daiquiri!

Prefer a different flavour of sorbet? Looking for a more adult frozen snack? Check out this Tropical Fruit IPA Sorbet from two years ago.