Strawberry Sorbet

Fresh strawberries are a sure sign of summer. The small pint we received in our first-of-the-season CSA box disappeared in minutes. I had to fiercely guard the four berries I intended to slice for a dinner salad of fresh lettuce topped with sliced radishes and strawberries.

Early the next morning, I drove out to a local strawberry farm. Usually, my kids and I pick our own, but it was already hot and humid with full sun, so I opted to pay the premium for pre-picked berries. I felt a bit greedy carrying a large flat with 6 quarts and wondered if I'd been a bit overzealous in my berry binge.

Twenty-four hours later, we're down to only one quart of fresh strawberries in the fridge. My kids enjoyed a big bowl of berries for lunch, staining their faces red. I made a batch of uncooked freezer jam to preserve the sunny sweetness for weeks to come. I made another quick salad of sliced strawberries and radishes, dressed with a bit of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice. My big finish was a batch of strawberry sorbet, the perfect dessert on a hot summer evening.

Strawberry Sorbet

I found this recipe about six years ago in Bon Appetit (August 2003) and have been making it ever since. The original recipe is available here at http://www.epicurious.com/. I typically use lime in place of the lemon juice of the original, but both work beautifully. I make this sorbet in the winter using (thawed) frozen strawberries with good results. But make this now with fresh, local, ruby-red strawberries and you will be happy.

2 cups water
1 cup sugar

1 quart strawberries, hulled
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Puree half the strawberries in blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer pureed strawberries to large bowl. Puree the remaining strawberries until smooth and add to the first batch.

Pour the orange juice, lime juice, and the sugar-water mixture into pureed strawberries. Stir well. Cover the bowl and store in the fridge until mixture is thoroughly chilled, two hours or more as needed.

Pour the strawberry mixture into the bowl of ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions until the sorbet is frozen, thick and slushy.

Transfer the sorbet to a freezer-safe container and store in freezer to harden. Allow the sorbet to sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to soften before serving.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, check out the original recipe for instructions on how to freeze the sorbet in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Then seriously consider buying an ice cream machine.

Recipe makes about 14 (1/2 cup) servings.

Nutrition facts per (1/2 cup) serving: 75 calories, 0.3 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 0.8 g fiber