Strawberry Sherbet

This strawberry sherbet is light, fresh and not too sweet—the perfect refreshment for warmer weather.  It will rival any brand of store-bought in the grocery store.  Lush, silky and rosy-hued, this stunning dessert is easy to make, but you do need an ice cream maker.  Small freshly picked strawberries are featured in most farmers markets now so you can pass on those large flavorless cross-country imports.

There seems to be a bit of confusion between sherbets and sorbets. Sherbets contain cream or milk and have a silky texture. Sorbets do not contain cream or milk and have an icy, yet refreshing, texture.  Both are best when they contain no water.

This sherbet has an intense strawberry flavor, not too sweet and not too tart and involves no cooking.  I think you’ll love it.

Ingredients

2 cups hulled strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whole milk

2 t freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 T vodka

Directions

1. Mix together strawberries and sugar.  Let sit for ten minutes or so until strawberries absorb sugar and begin to exude their juice.

2. Place in food processor and puree.

3. Press through a sieve to strain out pits.

4. Stir in milk, lemon juice and vodka.

5. Refrigerate at least two hours (or overnight) until mixture is thoroughly chilled.

6. Pour mixture into the container of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: the vodka will prevent the sherbet from freezing hard.

Sherbet photo by Bill Brady

Strawberry photo by sweetpaprika