Fruit-and-Herb Sorbets

Name: Fruit-and-Herb Sorbets
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 280 min
Ingredients: 0.667 cup sugar; 2 peeled strips (each 2 inches long) lemon zest, plus 4 teaspoons fresh juice; 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal); 3 cups 100 percent Concord-grape juice, such as Welch's, chilled and divided; 2 rosemary sprigs; 3 cups 100-percent-juice cranberry-apple juice, such as Apple & Eve, chilled and divided; 3 mint sprigs; 3 cups guava juice made from 100 percent juice, chilled and divided; 3 basil sprigs

By

Greg Lofts

Updated on October 15, 2021

concord grape–rosemary guava-basil and cranberry apple-mint sorbets — Photo: Dana Gallagher

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs 40 mins

Yield:

1 quart

A cold treat this time of year might seem like a curveball, but there are certain fall flavors that are made for sorbet, like concord grapes, rosemary, and cranberries to name a few. Using 100 percent juice rather than cooking fruit is a welcome shortcut, and you don't have to wait for it to cool, so you can get it churning ASAP. Our fruit-plus-herb formula is ripe for riffing. Here, grape and rosemary announce autumn, guava and basil tease the tropics, and cranberry nods to the harvest.

Ingredients

⅔ cup sugar
2 peeled strips (each 2 inches long) lemon zest, plus 4 teaspoons fresh juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal)

Concord Grape–Rosemary

3 cups 100 percent Concord-grape juice, such as Welch's, chilled and divided
2 rosemary sprigs

Cranberry-Apple-Mint

3 cups 100-percent-juice cranberry-apple juice, such as Apple & Eve, chilled and divided
3 mint sprigs

Guava-Basil

3 cups guava juice made from 100 percent juice, chilled and divided
3 basil sprigs

Directions

In a saucepan, combine sugar, lemon zest, salt, 1 cup fruit juice of choice, and herb of choice. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep 5 minutes. Strain into a heatproof container, discarding zest and herbs, and stir in lemon juice and remaining 2 cups fruit juice.
Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. When it has the texture of soft-serve, transfer sorbet to a chilled loaf pan or other freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 1 week.