Italian Sorbet Fun Facts

According to lore, sorbet was probably an Italian invention. Italian sorbet was made from from a sweetened water (like a simple sugar solution) and mixed with icy fruit puree. The favorite flavor was some type of citrus, such as orange, or lemon.

Ancient Rome served sorbet between meal courses as a way to cleanse or purify the palate. This way, the next course tasted fresh and true to it's flavor.

Sorbet really refers to any non dairy frozen sweetened fruit juice or puree that has a smooth texture, much like ice cream... but is not ice cream. Ice cream is a dairy product. A true sorbet is not.

Sometimes Italian Granita is referred to as a sorbet, but the real difference is in the texture, as a granita has a crunchier texture with larger sized ice crystals.

A true sorbet is generally dairy free, and frozen is such a fashion that it can be scooped or spooned, much like frozen yogurt or ice cream.

This can be accomplished by churning the liquid in an ice cream maker, or using a blender powerful enough to keep the mixture turning while freezing.

A simple recipe for a citrus sorbet goes like this:

4 cups of simple syrup (bring 4 cups of water and 2 cups sugar to a boil to dissolve the sugar.)
1 1/2 cups of orange juice.
1 1/2 cups of pineapple juice.
juice of a lemon.
a splash of white wine.

Here is another easy and favorite recipe.

Or...For more information on how to use your blender to make a sorbet follow this link. How To Make Sorbet At Home.

Any sorbet recipe involving a flavored syrup, or fruit puree, that is made with the consistency of ice cream or frozen yogurt is generally regarded as Italian sorbet.

If you have an ice cream maker, follow the recipe book provided by the manufacturer. You can use your blender, or food processor to make the fruit puree.

At the Smoothie Insider, we use a small ice cream maker to make sorbet, but we also use our favorite blender to make a quick version, especially if making smaller amounts.

For more information on sorbet, sorbet recipes, and how to make sorbet, type in your search term in the box below, and our special search engine will scour the web for related information.

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