Easy Lemon Sorbet Recipe - Only 3 Ingredients! - Ice Cream From Scratch (2024)

FAQs

What is lemon sorbet ice cream made of? ›

INGREDIENTS: Water, Lemon Juice from Concentrate (24%), Sugar, Dextrose, Glucose Syrup, Invert Sugar Syrup, Lime Juice from Concentrate (2%), Rice Starch, Maltodextrin, Emulsifier (Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Citrus Fibre, Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum), Glucose, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Flavouring.

One of the first frozen treats ever developed were ices (or sorbets), which essentially are a mixture of smooth ice, sugar, flavoring and other refreshing ingredients like fruit purees. A sorbet does not contain any dairy products and is more acidic, which results in tart flavors.

Without fat from dairy or eggs, it's the suspension of sugar within the fruit purée that allows the sorbet to churn into something with a creamy mouthfeel. You need 20-30% sugar in your sorbet, which will come from your fruit plus some added sugar.

What makes sorbet different from sherbet? Sorbet is strictly fruit juice and sugar while sherbet is fruit juice, sugar, and a bit of milk. That gives sorbet a brighter, more vibrant flavor and sherbet a creamier consistency.

Sorbet has less calories than ice cream and other frozen desserts, and no fat. It's fruit content also makes it rich in vitamin C. Any downsides? That fruit content also means it contains a fair bit of sugar, and if we're comparing it with ice cream and gelato, it has less calcium, vitamin A and iron.

Some are very sweet, others are more mellow, tart, or even savory. Some boast floral, herbal, or spicy notes. There are even adult-only boozy sorbets. Too little sweetener and your sorbet will be icy; too much sweetener and it will be mushy.

What exactly is sorbet? Sorbet is a frozen dessert made primarily of fruit puree, water, and sweeteners.

Since every fruit is different, every sorbet may need more or less sugar (less for super-sweet mangoes, for instance). Thicker fruits may need to be watered down while thin juices need bulking up with thickeners. You'll also have to add acid (lemon or lime juice are best) and salt to taste.

But Italian sorbets, called sorbettos, have the same luxurious mouth-feel as an ice cream. I worked on many batches before discovering that through a combination of reducing down the simple syrup to concentrate it, and then adding some thickening via a bit of cornstarch, it could happen!

Why do you put eggs in sorbet? ›

The quality of the water is important as well — if your water has a bad aftertaste, so will your sorbet — so we recommend using bottled. The optional egg white helps to stabilize, emulsify, and preserve the texture of the sorbet if you are going to keep it in your freezer for a few days.

Too much sugar will not only make for a sickeningly sweet dessert, it also reduces the freezing point so that firstly, your sorbet will take ages to freeze, and secondly, it will crystallize as it freezes. Too little sugar and you end up with loads of crunchy ice crystals.

1 to 2 tablespoons liqueur (this is for flavor, but it also prevents the sorbet from freezing solid. Alcohol won't freeze, so it is great insurance that you will have a soft sorbet. BUT, if you add too much sorbet won't freeze at all and you will basically have a margarita or daiquiri!)

Sorbet has less calories than ice cream and other frozen desserts, and no fat. It's fruit content also makes it rich in vitamin C. Any downsides? That fruit content also means it contains a fair bit of sugar, and if we're comparing it with ice cream and gelato, it has less calcium, vitamin A and iron.

For starters, since the basic elemental difference is that sherbet includes dairy and sorbet does not, it is an especially important distinction if you or someone in your sphere is vegan or chooses to eat dairy-free, since then you know you can serve sorbet without worry.

The difference between ice cream and sorbet is also based on whether or not dairy is used. Technically speaking, ice cream always contains cream and/or milk as its main ingredients, while sorbet traditionally never includes dairy or eggs, instead being primarily made from fruit juice or fruit purée.

"If you follow a vegan diet or have a food allergy, sorbet will be a better choice," she adds. Plus, in terms of nutrition, sorbet will also be the healthiest option becasue it doesn't contain the milk, cream, or butterfat, which increases saturated fat content.