Making Healthy Homemade Sorbet: Easier Than You Think (Guest Post)

During the sweltering hot days of summer, few desserts tempt the taste buds more than a deliciously chilled ice sorbet.  Packed with the goodness of pureed fruit and without the added milk or cream of its heavier ice cream counterpart, fruit sorbet is the perfect summer indulgence.

Sorbet actually dates back to the early 19th century when it was served in upscale restaurants to cleanse a patron’s palate between courses.  Since then it has not only remained a popular dessert choice in restaurants around the world but has also become a family favorite for backyard barbecues, pool parties and summertime entertaining.

Sorbet is popular in family kitchens for a variety of reasons.  It is a cost-efficient dessert choice with minimal and commonly found ingredients, it is a healthy alternative to ice cream or sherbet and it can be made very easily at home with only a few kitchen tools.

Why Make Your Own Sorbet?

Although sorbet is a naturally healthy summer treat, store bought varieties aren’t necessarily the best choice.  Quite often these sorbets contain excessive sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup and other additives and artificial flavors.  By making your own sorbet at home, you can be sure that only the freshest high quality ingredients are used. 

image: Flickr user pengrin

Health Benefits of Homemade Sorbet

Although sorbet is an extremely easy treat to make, the major health benefits of this fruity favorite should not be overlooked.  By carefully selecting your ingredients, you can be sure that your homemade sorbet is packed with antioxidants, fiber and immunity boosting ingredients to keep you fit, healthy and cool this summer.

Here are a few common sorbet ingredients and the health benefits they provide:

• Raspberries:  These red berries are full of fiber and antioxidants, making them the perfect fruit for your homemade sorbet.   They are also rich in Vitamin C to help prevent disease and illness.

• Yogurt:  If you prefer to add a bit of creaminess to your sorbet, low-fat or non-fat yogurt is a great way to do it.  It not only adds a lovely texture to frozen sorbet, but helps keep the digestive system functioning properly as well.

• Honey:  This all natural sweetener is great for adding a touch of sweetness to a sour cherry or raspberry sorbet without the use of regular granulated sugar.  Although honey contains a few more calories than sugar, its added antioxidants and immunity boosters make it a better option.

How to Make a Simple Sorbet

Sorbets can be prepared in a number of ways including the use of an ice cream maker, stand mixer attachment or by simply pureeing your fruit in a food processor and freezing the ingredients manually.

Here is a very simple sorbet recipe to try:

1 pound of frozen berries like raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or blackberries
¼ cup liquid honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Water (add as needed to desired consistency)

1. In your food processor, puree all of the ingredients together until well blended.  Place in a stainless steel container and freeze for several hours.  
2. When ready to serve, thaw the frozen mixture at room temperature for a few minutes and transfer back to the food processor.  Process the sorbet to break up any large ice chunks and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Kelly is a stay-at-home mom who loves spending time in the kitchen with her family.  When she is not busy cooking or baking, Kelly manages a website dedicated to helping Moms find unique kitchen gadgets for their home.  On her website, Kelly also loves to offer her opinion on things like which is the best food processor for the money and how to choose the best bread maker for your family.


Unless otherwise marked, images have been provided by the author of the article.