In the mood for something sweet and cold but not in the mood to grocery shop, I set out to make a fresh batch of sorbet. I hoped to find some fresh fruit in my kitchen, and the closest I came to this goal was a can of pineapple chunks “in their own juice.” Even though I pride myself on starting with the freshest of ingredients for my sorbet, which means whole fruit and sometimes 100% fruit juice, this lonely can of pineapple would just have to due. . .Thirty minutes after making a simple syrup, blending it with the pineapple, and stirring the mixture in a frozen sorbet bowl, I was ready to enjoy! I took out wine glasses, rinsed the glasses with warm water, and then rinsed the insides with white rum. Using an ice cream scooper, I placed balls of sorbet in glasses and garnished with leaves of lemon balm from our herb garden. One glass for me and the other for our next door neighbor for that time he did something nice for me and my daughters.
Here’s my simple pineapple sorbet for you to try.
Equipment:
Blender
Sorbet maker (It’s is crucial that the bowl part be thoroughly frozen until the moment it is used.)
Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh pineapple (or a can of pineapple chunks in their own juice)
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup water
juice of one lemon
rum or gin for rinsing glasses
two leaves of lemon balm for garnish
Directions:
To make the simple syrup, boil a cup of water, turn off the heat, and dissolve a cup of raw sugar (Or you can go with 3/4 cup of sugar if you want a less sweet sorbet.). In separate containers, chill the pineapple and the syrup for at least 30 minutes. Juice one lemon. Add lemon juice, pineapple, and simple syrup to a blender and blend thoroughly. Place your frozen sorbet bowl on it’s base. Start the sorbet maker and carefully pour the pineapple mixture into it. Allow the sorbet machine to stir the mixture for at least 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, get two very nice glasses. I love serving mine in wine glasses. Rinse them out with white rum or gin. Pour a cap full in each wine glass and whirl the liquor around until the entire inside of the glass is coated. Leave the excess in the bottom of the glass. Using an ice cream scooper, add a scoop of sorbet to the glass. Garnish with fresh herbs like mint or lemon balm.
Enjoy with a friend!
Variation: Instead of the pineapple, substitute two cups of another fruit or two cups of your favorite 100% fruit juice. Or instead of rum, use fresh lemon or lime juice.
Either way, let me know how your sorbet turns out. You can also tell me what kind of fruit you think would make a nice sorbet, and I’ll try to make it and let you know how it turns out. So far, we’ve tried strawberry, blueberry, grapefruit, pear, mango, and hibiscus tea.
Wish I were that nice neighbor getting that sorbet…
You’re next, Ms. Greta! Lol.