Deep-Red Strawberry Sorbet

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A sorbet built to taste more like strawberries than strawberries do. Most of the fruit is simply macerated raw with sugar so it keeps its bright, perfumed top notes, while a smaller batch is cooked down into a glossy jam concentrate that gives the finished sorbet a deep red color and long, ripe finish. A spoonful of corn syrup and a precise sugar ratio keep it scoopable straight from the freezer instead of freezing into a red brick. Works with an ice cream maker or with the food-processor no-churn method.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb ripe strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 8 oz ripe strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional, for a rounder finish)

• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• thin shortbread or butter cookies

• 1 ice cream maker with canister frozen at least 24 hours (or a 9x13-inch metal pan plus a food processor)

Instructions

1. At least 24 hours ahead, freeze your ice cream maker canister solid. If you are going the no-churn route, clear space in the freezer for a flat 9x13-inch metal pan.
2. Toss the 1 1/2 lb quartered strawberries with the 3/4 cup sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Let sit at room temperature 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the berries are sitting in about 1 cup of deep red syrup. Do not cook these — this is your fresh-fruit flavor.
3. Meanwhile, make the concentrate: combine the 8 oz halved strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, mashing with a fork and stirring often, until the mixture is thick, darkened, and reduced to about 1/3 cup — it should mound on the spoon. Stir in the balsamic vinegar if using and scrape into a bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Blend the macerated berries and all their syrup with the cooled jam concentrate, the corn syrup, and the lemon juice on high for 60 to 90 seconds, until completely smooth and slightly lighter in color.
5. Press the purée through a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl, using a flexible spatula to push it through and scrape the underside of the sieve; discard the seed paste left behind. You should have about 3 1/2 cups of base. Taste it: it should be aggressively sweet and a touch tart at room temperature, since freezing mutes both. Add up to 1 more teaspoon lemon juice if the berries were very sweet.
6. Cover and chill the base in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight, until it reads 40°F or below. A cold base churns faster and freezes with smaller ice crystals — this step is the difference between silky and grainy.
7. ICE CREAM MAKER METHOD: Pour the cold base into the running frozen canister and churn 20 to 25 minutes, until it has the texture of thick soft-serve and mounds on a spoon. Transfer to a chilled shallow container, press a piece of parchment directly onto the surface, cover, and freeze 3 to 4 hours until firm enough to scoop.
8. NO-CHURN METHOD: Pour the cold base into a 9x13-inch metal pan and freeze 4 to 5 hours, stirring the edges toward the center with a fork every hour, until solid throughout. Break the frozen slab into chunks, transfer to a food processor, and process 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down twice, until it turns smooth, pale, and creamy. Pack into a chilled container, press parchment on the surface, and refreeze 1 to 2 hours.
9. Before serving, let the sorbet sit at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes, then scoop with a spoon dipped in hot water. Serve with sliced fresh strawberries, a few flakes of sea salt, and a thin cookie alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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