Jul

24

Apricot-Orange Sorbet

July 24, 2007 |

We repeat our old mantra:

Frozen Stuff + Food Processor = Instant Gratification

There’s no real recipe for this, just a guideline.

A tip from Cook’s Illustrated on sorbets:

The Problem: Homemade sorbets often taste just fine but tend to be overly icy.

The Goal: Our goal was simple. Restaurant sorbets are invariably creamy and silky. They literally melt in your mouth, almost like ice cream. We wanted to figure out why.

The Solution: After much trial and error, we found that a high sugar concentration is the secret to creamy sorbets. Sugar controls the texture. By using 1/2 cup of sugar per cup of fruit (give or take a few tablespoons, depending on the fruit), we were able to achieve the desired result: smooth, creamy texture without cloying sweetness. We also found that adding a tablespoon of high-proof alcohol improves the texture of the sorbets and permits a slight reduction in the amount of sugar. Tasteless vodka is our first choice.

If you don’t mind all that sugar, or if you’re using a really tart fruit like lime or lemon, this is a good tip to keep in mind.

We didn’t add any sugar to this sorbet, ‘cos we like to taste just the fruit. We did add a tablespoon of Grand Marnier, out of sheer habit.

Our formula:
Chop whatever you fruit you’re using into chunks, freeze solid. Churn in the food processor (a really heavy-duty one) until it’s smooth like a slushy with the alcohol and whatever else you fancy. Put it in a container to a depth of 2.5 to 3 inches, not more. Freeze for 15 minutes until it sets a bit, scoop out, and serve. If you forget to take it out after 15 minutes and it gets rock solid, thaw it a bit (ten seconds in the microwave helps), break it into chunks, process again, freeze and serve after 15 minutes.

For this sorbet, we froze three halved, pitted apricots and segments from one big orange, processed it with 1 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp finely grated orange zest and 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier. It was sweet with just a hint of tartness, just the way we like it.

Check out our Strawberry-Banana Sorbet. Bananas help make sorbets really creamy.

Apricot-Orange Sorbet is our entry for Fresh Produce of the Month, hosted by the lovely Marta @ An Italian in the US. The current theme is Apricots.

- Jai

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34 Comments so far

  1. viji on July 24, 2007 9:43 pm

    Looks lovely bee a real treat for this summer. Viji

  2. sandeepa on July 24, 2007 10:03 pm

    Love that yellow sunshine

  3. Jyothsna on July 24, 2007 10:09 pm

    You make it sound so easy :)

  4. Suganya on July 24, 2007 10:11 pm

    No distractions in the photo. Only sorbet :) Tell me something, How do you find energy to post every single day? 3 times a week is an achievement for me :D


    we take turns to cook, and take pics, and post when we feel like, which is often. ;-) - b.

  5. archana on July 24, 2007 10:22 pm

    Lovely golden colour sorbet.

  6. Dee on July 24, 2007 10:25 pm

    I love the colours!!!! feel like gobbling them up and apricots are my favourite snack

  7. Meeta on July 24, 2007 10:42 pm

    Oh I love it. Apricots are just gorgeous and making a sorbet is perfect. I love the pic too!

  8. Archana on July 24, 2007 11:01 pm

    Good to know the secret for creamy sorbets. My sorbet was not scooping well but the taste was great so I didn’t care! The colors are so gorgeous!

  9. Marta on July 24, 2007 11:12 pm

    Yeeeh!! How wonderful!! Thank you soo much for sharing this amazing sorbet as an entry to the Fresh Produce of the month. The picture is really beautiful and the idea is just amazing. I’ll have to try this!

  10. Cinnamon on July 24, 2007 11:39 pm

    It looks lovely.. It was a feast to my eyes :)
    I should try this…
    And Thanks for sharing the secrets for good creamy sorbets!!

  11. saju on July 24, 2007 11:52 pm

    I don’t usually go for sweet things, but this has got me. I will be trying it!

  12. roopa on July 25, 2007 2:13 am

    wow i am drolling at the cup of sorbet! looks fabulous.

  13. sra on July 25, 2007 3:06 am

    Gorgeous colour!

  14. padmaja on July 25, 2007 4:47 am

    What a vibrant colour Bee,and absolute treat to the eyes and a melt in the mouth!!
    Amazing picture!!!!

  15. Asha on July 25, 2007 5:09 am

    Love the color! Ice Cream maker makes the best Sorbets!!

  16. Poonam on July 25, 2007 6:02 am

    I am not a big “sorbet” fan! But the picture is making me think twice…nice recipe!

  17. Nirmala on July 25, 2007 6:05 am

    Wow! you guys do a great job of getting recipes for restaurant specials. I never knew thats its so easy to make sorbets at home! Thanks a lot Jai and Bee!

  18. bhags on July 25, 2007 8:00 am

    The pic is adorable and it sounds so easy

  19. sunita on July 25, 2007 8:01 am

    Love apricots in any form…the sorbet looks gorgeous…

  20. Coffee on July 25, 2007 8:20 am

    WOW! The sun is rising beautifully! ;)

  21. musical on July 25, 2007 8:35 am

    Now thats the “anytime” dessert :) very inviting!

  22. Laavanya on July 25, 2007 9:07 am

    That picture is just so perfect!!

  23. Dhana on July 25, 2007 9:53 am

    Those look DIVINE! Wanna eat some nowwww!

  24. KitchenAromas on July 25, 2007 10:38 am

    What a stunning picture!

  25. priyanka on July 25, 2007 11:21 am

    the sorbet looks very inviting…. i never knew that there was a simple and quick way of making sorbets… thanks for sharing

  26. sharmi on July 25, 2007 1:30 pm

    that pic is out of the world. so vibrant and beautiful.

  27. Hima on July 25, 2007 3:19 pm

    That is looking so cool… the photo is superb

  28. Smita on July 25, 2007 3:52 pm

    Oy!! Beautiful!! So elegant (sigh)

  29. Jyothi on July 25, 2007 4:15 pm

    Looks lovely and beautiful pics.

  30. Padma on July 25, 2007 4:56 pm

    feel like grabbing some spoonful of it…This is really tempting me to try one…terrific pics!

  31. Mona on July 25, 2007 5:23 pm

    Wow! gr8 sorbet Jai and Bee. looking ahead to try it out.

  32. richa on July 25, 2007 6:21 pm

    that is one groovy sorbet :)

  33. prema on July 25, 2007 7:39 pm

    Thanks jai and bee for giving the recipe and tips for making restaurant type sorbet.

  34. Express Cooking for Summer » jugalbandi on August 6, 2007 6:58 pm

    […] Strawberry-Banana Sorbet Apricot-Orange Sorbet […]

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