A few years ago, I received an ice cream maker for Mother’s Day. To this day, I still say it was the best gift I ever received, and my family would find it difficult to disagree. Most of the time I use it for any one of the favorite ice cream flavors in my house with the occasional experiment sprinkled in. My ice cream experiments are often the result of seasonal fruits or the intention to emulate some other food, or beverage, that is a favorite. The latest experiment was sorbet–definitely leaving my comfort zone here– and what I’m hoping for is that with a base of knowledge and some leftover simple syrup, there will be continued opportunity to embrace the season’s fruits and turn them into a frozen treat.
Ingredients:
3 6-ounce containers of blackberries
3 1/3 cups sugar
3 cups water
1″ of fresh ginger peeled and sliced
What’s Next:
Combine berries and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium sized bowl and allow to sit for 2 or so hours.
While berries are macerating, make the simple syrup. Place the remaining 3 cups sugar, ginger, and water in a medium sized sauce pan. Bring to a boil and them lower the heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes on low so that all the sugar is melted. Turn off heat and allow to cool. This will yield about 4 cups of simple syrup, all of which is not needed and the extra can be stored. Once fully cooled, remove ginger pieces. Set aside.
When the berries are soft, purée them in a food processor and then strain liquid through a sieve to remove the seeds. This should yield about 1 1/2 cups of berry purée.
Pour berry purée, 1 1/2 cups of cold water and 1 cup of simple syrup into the freezer bowl of an ice cream maker and process for about 30 minutes. Transfer to a container and place in the freezer for a few hours to fully harden.
Notes from my experience:
The ginger flavor in this recipe is very subtle. It’s just enough to be noticeable without seeming spicy to younger eaters, like my kids. With the abundance of berries coming soon, this is refreshing and different which makes it a fun dessert.
Be sure your freezer bowl is completely and well frozen. We made that mistake this week and ice cream never really froze. It’s a simple rule, but an important one to remember.
