100% Whole Fruit Sorbet
This healthy treat will cool you off on a hot day, no ice cream maker required
100% Whole Fruit Sorbet
This is our almost daily treat and I’m sharing it now because chances are you too feel this summer’s scorching heat.
Can you call this sorbet? Technically you can’t, as sugary water is a critical component of sorbet – a sugar-sweetened treat flavored with fruit juice or puree. Neither is this a sherbet – in which sugar is as central.
Sugar serves a central role in the above frozen desserts because it gives them the right texture when frozen, and makes them scoopable and smooth to your tongue. That’s why sorbets are 20-30 percent sugar. Without the sugary syrup sorbet will not have the silky structure you expect, and will become icy when frozen.
Yet this bowl of fruity deliciousness has no added sugar at all.
I discovered this technique by chance, while making sorbet the usual way, with an ice cream machine, woefully adding sugar despite not needing it for flavor, as the fruit was sweet enough. While running frozen fruit through the food processor I found that both texture and flavor are perfect if it’s served immediately. As long as you don’t freeze this treat it will feel like a sorbet, while it’s actually a few nourishing, antioxidant-rich servings of fruit.
All the equipment you need is a food processor or strong blender.
I use organic frozen berries for convenience as these are sold in most supermarkets, and I love them, especially blueberries. Feel free to freeze any fresh fruit you have plenty of instead.
The dried fruit gives added textural and flavor interest – it acts like the chocolate chip in a cookie – and is optional.
Ingredients
2 bags of frozen berries – blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries – single type of berry or in any combination you prefer
¼ cup dried fruit – such as apricots, prunes, dates, raisins – soaked in water for a while if you remember to do it, otherwise, cut into pieces (optional)
Cold water as needed, up to 1 cup
Preparation
Use frozen ingredients and serve immediately
Process until fruit is broken down and looks like a sorbet
Place the frozen berries and dried fruit in a food processor or blender, add a bit of water and process. You may need to scrape the walls of the container every once in a while and add a bit of water to aid the process. When the fruit is broken down and looks like a sorbet, scoop into pretty glasses or serving dishes, and serve immediately.
Enjoy,
Dr. Ayala