Fresh Tangerine Sorbet
Just like eating a juicy tangerine, this Fresh Tangerine Sorbet is incredibly refreshing, and a delicious way to take advantage of flavorful citrus fruits when in season. This recipe is a keeper!
My deep love of sorbet started years ago in Italy, where there's a gelato shop at almost every corner.
I'll never forget a melon sorbet I had one hot, muggy afternoon in Florence. I'd been walking and shopping and schlepping for hours, so I stopped for a scoop of ice-cold sorbet. It had a pleasant, soft texture and was sweet and bursting with fresh, juicy flavor. It's haunted me in a good way ever since.
Here's some solid reasons to make your own sorbet at home:
It's surprisingly easy to make, with just a few ingredients.
The perfect recipe when citrus is in season, where ever you are.
Homemade sorbet is far superior in flavor to most store-bought varieties, make it once and you'll make it again.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Sugar: No way around this, and after all, we're making dessert, right?
Citrus Juice and Zest: This recipe calls for tangerine juice, but you could use freshly-squeezed orange juice or any other citrus for that matter. You'll also need some zest from the outside of the orange for extra flavor.
Salt: To amplify the flavors.
Vodka Just a tablespoon, and it's optional. It's tasteless and gives the sorbet a very pleasant, slightly soft consistency. I recommend using it if you can.
Process: Everything goes into a food processor until it's smooth and the sugar is dissolved.
Strain: You'll then pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any solids. This insures a smooth, almost silky consistency.
Transfer: To an ice cream maker, and process based on your machine's instructions.
Freeze: Place the sorbet in a container with a tight-fitting lid, and freeze it for at least two hours or overnight until firm.
Store: Keep the sorbet in the freezer for up to a week!
If you can't find tangerines, no problem, use fresh oranges instead.
Leave the vodka out! The consistency will be a less soft, but still scoop-able and it won't affect the flavor.
If you don't have a food processor, use a blender instead to mix the ingredients as directed.
This is a fun dessert to serve with a big plate of really good cookies! Girl's night, casual dinners, BBQ's - you get the idea.
This sorbet will stay fresh in your freezer for up to a week, just store it in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
Serve the sorbet with homemade cookies.
Fresh Tangerine Sorbet
Just like eating a juicy tangerine, this Fresh Tangerine Sorbet is incredibly refreshing, and a great way to take advantage of the flavorful citrus fruits whenever they are in the markets.
Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Plus freezing time: 12 hours hours
Total Time: 12 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
▢ 1 cup Minus one tablespoon of granulated sugar
▢ 2 teaspoons fresh tangerine zest
▢ Pinch sea salt
▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
▢ 1 tablespoon vodka optional
▢ 2 cups tangerine (or orange) juice, fresh squeezed
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and pulse until the ingredients are combined and the sugar is dissolved, about a minute.
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour, or until chilled.
Transfer the mixture into an ice cream machine, and process based on your machine's instructions.
The sorbet will be somewhat soft after its time in the machine. Transfer the mixture to a container with tight-fitting lid, and freeze for two hours or overnight until firm.
Store sorbet in an air-tight container with a tight-fitting lid for up to a week.
Notes
If you can’t find tangerines, don’t worry! Use fresh oranges instead.
Leave the vodka out if you want. The consistency will be a less soft, but still scoop-able and it won’t affect the flavor.
If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender instead.
This is a fun dessert to serve with a big plate of cookies! Girl’s night, casual dinners, BBQ’s – you get the idea.
This sorbet will stay fresh in your freezer for up to a week, just store it in a sealed container with a tight-fitting lid.