Cranberry Sorbet

Cranberry Sorbet

Guest author Garrett came over to make this cranberry sorbet for us the other day, so good! Even in bone-chilling weather. ~Elise

I've gone a bit cranberry crazy at the moment. Plain loco. Off the deep end. You see, it's 35°F outside and I have my ice cream machine running. Now before you roll your eyes at me and and simply pass me off as simply lunatic fringe, please, hear me out.

I love cranberries. Adore them, in fact. I horde them come November and December because I just can't get enough of their sweet-tart taste that just nibbles at your tongue. Cranberry sauce, tarts, bread, cookies and chutneys get turned out here like I'll win a prize at the end (maybe more cranberries?). I always wanted to try making cranberry sorbet but let's face it, there be no cranberries in July when the weather is hitting triple digits.

Ingredients
12 ounces fresh or thawed frozen cranberries (about 3 1/2 cups), washed and drained, stems removed and discarded, bruised or spoiled cranberries discarded
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups white cranberry juice
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons chopped fresh lime or orange zest

Method

1 Place cranberries, sugar, white cranberry juice, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until berries have popped and sugar has dissolved.

2 Cool for 10 minutes. Working in batches, purée in a blender until smooth. Press through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and pulp; discard seeds and pulp. Stir in corn syrup and zest. Cover and refrigerate until totally chilled, 6 hours or longer.

3 Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. The sorbet will have a soft texture similar to a freshly scooped Italian ice. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Once frozen, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature before serving.

For Cranberry Ginger Sorbet, add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger to the cranberries, sugar and juice to cook. Finely chopped zest of 1 orange or lime may also be added.