ANY FRUIT SORBET
Time: 1 hour, plus chilling and freezing time
Make ahead: The sorbet base needs to be chilled at least 3 hours before churning, plus about 4 hours to harden.
Storage: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• 4 cups fruit, such as diced cantaloupe or honeydew melon, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries (about 1¼ pounds/567 grams); stone fruit, such as plums, peaches, apricots or nectarines (about 1 pound/625 grams; see notes)
• ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (85 grams) light corn syrup
• 1⁄8 teaspoon fine salt
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime or lemon (optional; see notes)
Instructions: In a blender, combine the fruit, sugar, corn syrup, salt and zest and/or juice, if using (see notes) and process until smooth. If necessary, such as with seedy berries, strain the sorbet base through a finemesh sieve into a 4-cup container. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours and preferably overnight.
Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (place the container you used for chilling the base in the freezer.) When the sorbet reaches the desired consistency, transfer it to the chilled container and freeze until hardened to your desired consistency. The sorbet will keep frozen for up to 1 week.
Before serving, let the sorbet sit at least 1 minute and up to 5 minutes on the counter, to soften.
Notes: Fruit will vary in weight depending on its moisture content, so measuring by volume or cups will be more reliable.
For cantaloupe, honeydew or berry sorbets, consider adding finely grated zest of 1 lime and fresh lime juice to taste (start with ½ teaspoon and add more, if desired); for stone fruit, add lemon juice (start with ½ teaspoon and add more, if desired).
Because watermelon lacks fiber and pectin, and has so much water, this formula doesn’t apply.
8 servings (makes about 1 quart)
Nutrition information per serving (½ cup, using raspberries): Calories: 139; Total Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 44 mg; Carbohydrates: 35 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 25 g; Protein: 1 g