Have you made sorbet? Any special tips?

[PeterPan]

We have berries growing in our yard and i want to try making sorbet. seeing everything from sugar to booze to lavendar...

[El...]

This is interesting, but the actual recipe is behind a paywall. https://www.cooksillustrated.com/videos/2255-raspberry-sorbet

[Pen]

Last year I made some that was pure fruit watermelon which had plenty of sugar etc too work alone.  I expect that watermelon plus berries would be good. 

Suggest: Make small batch, taste, and decide if it needs anything else. 

[Terabith]

I just made an absolutely amazing blueberry basil sorbet!  https://mariposafarms.com/recipes/blueberry-basil-sorbet/  I just stuck it in the food processor and then froze it.  

[Matryoshka]

7 minutes ago, Terabith said:

I just made an absolutely amazing blueberry basil sorbet!  https://mariposafarms.com/recipes/blueberry-basil-sorbet/  I just stuck it in the food processor and then froze it.  

That looks really interesting!  Our blueberry bushes are producing and we've already frozen a bunch...  and I have basil!  Think I might have to wait a bit for 20 big leaves, though...

That seems like a heckuva ton of sugar, though.  Is it really sweet?  Wouldn't the berries themselves make it sweet enough?  I've been making chocolate banana nice cream, with unsweetened cocoa, and the bananas themselves add plenty of sugar even with the added bitter cocoa...   but then I've been low-sugar for a while now, so maybe my tastebuds really have just adjusted!  I know bananas are way sweeter than berries, but other than the basil, there isn't anything suppressing the fruit sugar...?

I think I might try that with no sugar, taste, and add stevia as needed...  oh, and I think mine might need the optional rum.  Yes, I'll use rum to sweeten it!  That's full of sugar... 🍹

[Terabith]

2 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

That looks really interesting!  Our blueberry bushes are producing and we've already frozen a bunch...  and I have basil!  Think I might have to wait a bit for 20 big leaves, though...

That seems like a heckuva ton of sugar, though.  Is it really sweet?  Wouldn't the berries themselves make it sweet enough?  I've been making chocolate banana nice cream, with unsweetened cocoa, and the bananas themselves add plenty of sugar even with the added bitter cocoa...   but then I've been low-sugar for a while now, so maybe my tastebuds really have just adjusted!  I know bananas are way sweeter than berries, but other than the basil, there isn't anything suppressing the fruit sugar...?

I think I might try that with no sugar, taste, and add stevia as needed...  oh, and I think mine might need the optional rum.  Yes, I'll use rum to sweeten it!  That's full of sugar... 🍹

Actually, I only used 1/2 cup of sugar.  I've made it several times, and I'm not sure I've done it exactly the same way any of the times.  The last time I used maybe 8 basil leaves and instead of infusing them in the simple syrup, I chopped them up and put them in the food processor, but it didn't have as much basil flavor as I prefer.  But yes, you can absolutely play with the amount of sugar.  You want enough to make a syrup, but you can definitely use less.  

I'm not really experienced with stevia enough to know if it would dissolve and work as an infusion, but it probably would?  

[Matryoshka]

1 minute ago, Terabith said:

Actually, I only used 1/2 cup of sugar.  I've made it several times, and I'm not sure I've done it exactly the same way any of the times.  The last time I used maybe 8 basil leaves and instead of infusing them in the simple syrup, I chopped them up and put them in the food processor, but it didn't have as much basil flavor as I prefer.  But yes, you can absolutely play with the amount of sugar.  You want enough to make a syrup, but you can definitely use less.  

I'm not really experienced with stevia enough to know if it would dissolve and work as an infusion, but it probably would?  

Okay, I should have looked more closely at the directions and not just the ingredient list, lol.  Not sure if stevia would work for an infusion, maybe?  It does dissolve, and I could also just use liquid stevia.  But rum certainly could make an infusion - or would it be tincture or something? 😁  I could play with it...

You said you just used a food processor, yes?  I do not wish to purchase a 'sorbet machine'.  Any tips other than processing the heck out of it?

[Terabith]

1 minute ago, Matryoshka said:

Okay, I should have looked more closely at the directions and not just the ingredient list, lol.  Not sure if stevia would work for an infusion, maybe?  It does dissolve, and I could also just use liquid stevia.  But rum certainly could make an infusion - or would it be tincture or something? 😁  I could play with it...

You said you just used a food processor, yes?  I do not wish to purchase a 'sorbet machine'.  Any tips other than processing the heck out of it?

No, I don't have a sorbet machine.  Actually, I've even made it once in just a blender.  I don't actually have a food processor; usually when I want to make it, I go to my mother in law's and use hers.  It doesn't even take all that much processing.  It's mostly just berries, the syrup, and some lemon juice....it blends super easily, and then I pour it into tupperware and stick it in the freezer.  It's super easy and utterly delicious.  

[Matryoshka]

2 minutes ago, Terabith said:

No, I don't have a sorbet machine.  Actually, I've even made it once in just a blender.  I don't actually have a food processor; usually when I want to make it, I go to my mother in law's and use hers.  It doesn't even take all that much processing.  It's mostly just berries, the syrup, and some lemon juice....it blends super easily, and then I pour it into tupperware and stick it in the freezer.  It's super easy and utterly delicious.  

I think I need to make this.  Mix it up from the chocolate banana stuff (which isn't sorbet, but is sooo yummy).