LEMON SORBET – Late but lovely

I have to apologise as it has been so long since my last recipe. I don’t know where the time has gone and I have been making lots of dishes, just haven’t had time to write them up. Very bad. I hope this lemon sorbet makes amends.

I don’t have an ice cream maker so haven’t really explored making my own ice creams or sorbets. Yet lately we have had a lot of lemons in our fruit bowl and when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade… or if the sun is blazing as it has been, you could make cooling, revitalising, lemon sorbet.

I remember the first time I had sorbet. I must have been 11 and my parents and I were staying at a very smart hotel in La Rochelle. We were eating a six-course meal and after every course, the waiter brought this little silver dish containing a small ball in the palest pastel yellow .I took a spoonful and absolutely loved the tastebud tingly citrus zinginess. I thought the addition of this treat throughout the meal was the most heavenly idea ever. Both sorbet and France have shared a special place in my heart ever since.

When I read about making sorbet without a machine, I realised you had to go back to the freezer, take out the sorbet creation and stir with a fork every half hour for two- three hours. And I just didn’t have to the time to commit. Stuff needed doing. I need to be here, there and everywhere. Finally came the day when I could spare a few hours and I’m so glad it did. The sorbet was as refreshing as I had hoped. Even though I’m not enjoying it within the experience of a 6-course meal or enjoying the La Rochelle’s ambience,  I still relish the refreshing taste. 

What you need to make lemon sorbet

250ml of lemon juice (about 6-8lemons)

750ml of water

500g caster sugar

zest of 1 lemon

·      Put sugar in a pan and water. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar and create a syrup.

·      Zest 1 lemon and  then squeeze all the lemon’s juice into a bowl and add the zest.  Stir the lemon mixture into the syrup and leave to cool.

·      While it’s cooling pop a container into the freezer. I used a plastic tub but you can use a Pyrex dish or baking tray. 

·      Then for the next three hours, pop it out of the freezer on a half hourly basis and give it a stir with a fork or a mini whisk. You don’t have to do this particularly vigorously just regularly. 

It’s so worth it. I am definitely going to stay in and make sorbet more often. Try lots of new flavours, but I’m not convinced any will top the zingy pizazz of lemon. Watch this space.