Fresh Strawberry Sorbet.

 I love strawberry season. It lasts only a few short weeks, but it sure is good while it lasts. We are not growing strawberries this year  - well, we are, but they are not big enough to fruit this year - but they can be found all around here. Strawberries are at local farmer's markets, roadside stands, u-picks, and in CSA's. We have picked up strawberries every time we see them, knowing that in a week or two they will be gone. I love making some jam and drying some for granola, but really, sorbet is a must. It is the perfect thing on a hot day.

Making an unheated dairy-free sorbet is really the best way to get the full amazing strawberry flavor. I know many recipes call for syrups with water, but really, who wants watered down strawberries. I want it to taste like an explosion of strawberries in my mouth. I don't like using white sugar and my body doesn't like me using white sugar, so I have experimented to get a scoopable sorbet using a natural sugar. This recipe uses raw honey and a wee bit of limoncello to keep it from freezing too solid (I love our homemade limoncello!!!!). This remains scoopable and a vivid red with the full pow of fresh strawberries. This *only* uses 3 Tbsp of limoncello per full quart of sorbet, but if you wish to have no liqueur in this, you can use 2 tsp of vanilla instead of one (vanilla extract also uses alcohol, which is what helps keep the sorbet from freezing into solid ice chunks) - but it WILL still be hard to scoop since you won't have the same recipe ratio and nobody wants several tablespoons of vanilla extract in their sorbet to compensate. Don't add *extra* limoncello though, as too much alcohol will make it more of a slushie. This recipe really is a great balance of flavor and freeze consistency and sweetness.

Strawberry Sorbet

Print |

{wholly rooted}

This is an unheated strawberry sorbet that packs so much intense strawberry flavor you will want more!

{ingredients}

• 1qt fresh strawberries, tops trimmed

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 Tbsp limoncello (or other fruit liqueur)

• pinch sea salt

Blend the strawberries & lime juice on high in a blender until smooth.

Run through a fine mesh strainer to remove all strawberry seeds.

Put the strained liquid back into the blender and add the limoncello, vanilla, and pinch of sea salt and blend on low.

Drizzle the 1/2 cup of honey through the top hole of the blender while it is running, to thoroughly blend in the honey.

Once all ingredients are in the blender, return to medium and let blend another 10-15 seconds.

Taste the mix, and add additional honey if needed. Most ripe strawberries are pretty sweet, but if yours are not quite at peak ripeness you may want to add a little bit more honey to taste.

If your lime/strawberries/limoncello have all come from the refrigerator, this will be chilled enough to pour directly into an ice cream maker. If not, chill the liquid in the fridge for an hour or so, and whisk well before pouring into an ice cream maker.

Let this run through the cycle per the directions for your ice cream maker.

Spoon into a freezer safe container, and let freeze for an hour or so before serving.

Published June 27, 2016

​Strawberry season doesn't last very long, and while we *could* buy strawberries from the grocery store all year 'round, we all know nothing tastes as good as locally grown strawberries in season. This recipe really takes advantage of the natural sweetness and amazing flavor or summertime fruit. I think I have a sorbet recipe for just about every single berry all summer long, but strawberries are the first berries after a long winter and spring, and the taste is just...summer. I sometimes try to tuck a quart of it down at the bottom of the chest freezer so we can find in the fall and get all excited that we still have strawberry sorbet in October - but it never lasts that long. That is partly because I just have horrible secret agent stealth skills, and partly because it is so good and who wants to save some for later when you can have it now, when it is hothothot outside. We had strawberries in our CSA yesterday, and picked up a few extra quarts, so I am going to go make some more sorbet!

---