Sorbets, Ice Creams, Yogurts and all things Frozen or Slightly Chilled

[Moley]

As the thermometer heads into the triple digits a great way of using fruit is with an Ice Cream Machine. I have a ~$100 Cuisinart, but the lower models work just as well. Lets start with one I just made. Please contribute your own recipes.

Blueberry Citrus Basil Sorbet

3 cups sugar
3 cups water
bunch of lemon and lime basil (more the better)
1/4 lemon
4-5 cups blueberries

Make a simple syrup, bring sugar and water to a simmer/boil or until sugar is dissolved
Remove from heat, tear basil and crush lemon into pot, let steep 15-20 minutes strain through fine chinois removing basil and lemon
Cool completely
Add blueberries, puree with immersion blender
(optionally strain again to remove seeds and skins, I like the color, nutrition and texture, i leave 'em in)
Cool completely again and then process in your ice cream maker until 1.5x the original size (15 mins in my machine)
Remove from machine and place in freezer for 2-4hrs

pro tip: freeze the blueberries ahead of time and use them to cool the strained steeped syrup, puree and process in one shot

[Bradybb]

Thanks,that looks good.I may try it with my cheap,never used ice cream maker. Brady

[scottfsmith]

Sounds tasty!

I had an hour so I just made a quick variation on it… I pureed the blueberries and threw in ice cream maker with some sugar. I steeped basil in 1/2c water, including a ginger tea bag since I had no lemon, and added it in 15 or so minutes when the blueberry mix was getting pretty cold.

Its surprising how much basil flavor there is with only the ten or so leaves I used - its very good!

[BobVance]

This thread, along with the 93 degree heat yesterday, convinced me to get an ice cream maker. I’m thinking that when I mess up a jam recipe and accidentally make syrup instead, I can use that to make ice cream.

A couple years ago I made ice cream with the kids, using a plastic bag in a plastic bag of ice and salt. But it was too much work for a meager amount of (slushy) ice cream.

[Drew51]

I’m thinking that when I mess up a jam recipe and accidentally make syrup instead, I can use that to make ice cream.

That is one reason i use pectin, but sometimes even with pectin it doesn’t gel. That happened to me with a black raspberry jam. I have a hard time getting any jam with black raspberries to gel. I used Pomona calcium pectin which requires no sugar to gel on the messed up jam. Worked like a charm, and the jam is fantastic.

[Moley]

Summer Peach Ice Cream

16oz Milk
16oz Heavy Cream
8 oz sugar
1 vanilla bean split and scraped
8 egg yolks
1 cup ripe summer peach finely diced
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup finely crushed graham crackers

Put milk, cream, vanilla bean and scrapings, cinnamon and half the sugar in a pot
Bring to simmer and turn off heat, cover and infuse 20 minutes
Combine egg yolks and remaining sugar and whisk until pale white and fluffy (blanchir)
Remove cover and fish out vanilla bean from cream mixture, turn the heat back on low
Temper egg mixture into cream mixture
Cook until mixture coats the back of a spoon (nappant)
Strain through a chinois into a container in an ice bath, stirring frequently to cool mixture
Refrigerate until fully chilled
Process in Ice cream machine
Combine peaches and graham crumbs,and add to the batch at the very end
Freeze and enjoy

Omit the last three ingredients for my all purpose Ice Cream base or Creme Anglasie

[scottfsmith]

Moley, do you ever do anything with the fruit bits to make them not quite as “frozen fruit” tasting when eating the ice cream? They can be hard icy chunks. Sometimes I cook them for a little bit with sugar, or even just let them sit overnight in sugar.

For sorbet there is a similar issue of not wanting it too icy. I find a tsp or so of vodka helps there, its not enough to taste it. Maybe combine the ideas, soak fruit bits in sugar plus the vodka…

[Bradybb]

I also have a Dessert Bullet that grinds and mixes somewhat frozen fruit.It works fairly well.I use mostly Bananas and different kinds of berries together with a little Vanilla extract. Brady

[Moley]

Be careful with the alcohol as it won’t freeze, fruit in ice cream can be a problem because of the water content.

You can do a few things to lesson it:

1. Cook the fruit with some sugar and reserve the juice for something else like a pie
2. Mix the fruit with crumbs or something to absorb some of the water
3. Use super ripe fruit and puree, then swirl into the Ice Cream at the end
4. SORBET PRO TIP. use 1.5oz of corn syrup in the simple syrup mix, will make it silky and smooth

[speedster1]

I also have a Dessert Bullet that grinds and mixes somewhat frozen fruit.It works fairly well.I use mostly Bananas and different kinds of berries together with a little Vanilla extract. Brady

I wondered how well those things work. It looks to me like you really need to add banana to everything to get a finished products that is slightly creamy. I do like sorbets but sometimes you just want the creaminess of ice cream.

I think I’m going to pass on the bullet and buy one of those Cuisinart ice cream makers. They do sorbet, sherbert, custard, gellato, and all types.

[Bradybb]

There are quite a few recipes that use Bananas,but other things can take their place,like frozen yogurt or cottage cheese. Brady
http://www.dessertbulletblog.com/tag/recipes?doing_wp_cron=1437865436.5034680366516113281250

[mrsg47]

Corn Syrup. Also the secret to great gelato.

[scottfsmith]

I’ll have to try the corn syrup trick next time. The alcohol trick has worked well for me, but it is lowering the overall freeze point so it will be more soft. I usually puree fruit that I add as I had too many problems with ice chunk sorbet when I used whole pieces.

[Moley]

The Science of Sorbet from Serious Eats

Informative article with well tested recipes

[Moley]

Champagne Cherry Lime Sorbet

4 cups of cherries pitted
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 TB corn syrup
1 cup of champagne
3 Limes juiced and seeded

Make a simple syrup add corn syrup and cool
Combine syrup and fruit
Puree
Run through a Food Mill
Cool
Add chilled champagne and Process in Ice Cream Machine

Pluot/Plum Ginger Citrus Sorbet

4 cups Pluots/Plums cored and skinned
3 cups sugar
2 cup water
1 TB corn syrup
4-5 small pieces crystalized ginger
1 lime & lemon juiced and seeded

Make a simple syrup add corn syrup and ginger and cool remove ginger when cool
Combine syrup and fruit
Puree
Run through a Food Mill
Cool and Process in Ice Cream Machine

As always you may end up with extra sorbet base, reserve and freeze for later.

[Bradybb]

I saw this technique on my browser,just before going to bed.It’s for making ice cream without a machine. Brady
https://www.yahoo.com/food/its-summertime-its-hot-out-you-dont-need-a-124919954310.html
Here is another link to make pop sickles.
https://www.yahoo.com/food/beat-the-heat-ice-pops-all-day-124755204131.html

[Chikn]

Moley, I didn’t see this from before…Thank you for the basic IC and CA recipes, so good!!

[Moley]

Not to derail anymore threads I’ll move the conversation
UPDATE
Ive been using a very simple ratio

Sorbet
4 cups fruit (puree’d)
2 cups flavored simple syrup

Ice Cream (American style)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
flavorings

both are no cook, mix, chill, and then process in machine

Recommenced Machines
I own and recommend this one, although pricey paid $69 from Amazon

Amazon.com: Cuisinart ICE-70 Electronic Ice Cream Maker, Brushed Chrome: Kitchen & Dining

This one I bought as a backup for the restaurant, it works just as well and cheaper paid $49 from Amazon

Amazon.com: Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker: Kitchen & Dining

Get an extra 2qt bowl, so you can make back to back batches every 12 hours or however fast you can refreeze the bowls. I own three 2qt bowls between the house and the restaurant.
My Freezer so far

Kiwi Pineapple ready for processing

[MrClint]

Yes, we slice and freeze any of our over ripe bananas, then toss them into a food processor and whirl them until smooth. Comes out like soft serve ice cream. You can add sweeteners and flavorings as desired. Super easy.