Pumpkin-Ginger Sorbet Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of a good sorbet? ›

Sugar plays a larger roll in the sorbet than just sweetening the fruit juice. It's also crucial for the sorbet's texture. Too little sugar and the sorbet becomes icy, too much and it can be slushy — hit the sugar level just right and the sorbet will taste creamy and melt evenly across your tongue.

That's why pastry chefs look to liquid sugar like invert sugar, glucose, or dextrose, which all make sorbet creamier when used properly.

If your sorbet tastes too sugary, the first thing you'll want to do is melt it back down to liquid. Once it's back to a watery base, there are a few ways to rescue it. Adding water will help dilute the sugar and will result in it being less sweet.

One option is to allow the sorbet to melt in the fridge overnight and simply re-churn. But if you don't care to add the extra effort of re-freezing, another option is to incorporate a stabilizer into the original base. The three best options are alcohol, pectin, and gelatin.

Though it's a controversial ingredient, corn syrup has many benefits in a baker's kitchen and one of them is in sorbet. It can add viscosity to fruit juices that lack it, such as citrus juices or thin apple juice.

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!)

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.

Since alcohol doesn't freeze, the vodka helps add smoothness to the the crunchy, icy texture of the sorbet. I made mine with Heritage Distilling Company's vodka. Triple distilled with a smooth finish, it's the perfect addition to this refreshing dessert.

Sherbet and sorbet are both fruity frozen treats whose names are often incorrectly used interchangeably. The main difference? Sherbet contains dairy while sorbet has no dairy.

In this recipe, we use tapioca starch to thicken the sorbet mixture, which gives a velvety texture to the sorbet, but you can use corn starch if this is what you have. Thickening the sorbet mixture with a starch gives it body, which makes the sorbet expand during churning and become fluffy.

How to stop sorbet from crystallizing? ›

By adding some other sugar(s) than the ordinary white (sucrose), we can affect the crystallisation in ways that hamper the formation of icy crystals (keeping the sorbet soft) but without making it overly sweet. Glucose- and corn syrups are handy here.

Most of the time, drinking a big glass of water just makes us feel good, but drinking even more water than usual after sugar-binging may actually help you feel better. Hydrating can support the natural detox process (meaning you'll use the bathroom more often) so you don't feel so puffy or bloated.

Too little sweetener and your sorbet will be icy; too much sweetener and it will be mushy. Churn or stir your sorbet while it's freezing to prevent large ice crystals from forming.

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.

*Guar gum serves to thicken the mixture and produce a creamier, longer lasting sorbet. If you omit it, I'd recommend increasing the sugar by 1/4 to 1/2 cup to make up for the difference, otherwise your sorbet will be on the icy side.

Most frozen dessert formulations have common ingredients. The base is either fruit puree for sorbet or milk/cream for ice cream. It may be enriched with egg yolks for flavour and its emulsification qualities (it helps bind everything together and give a firmer texture to your finished product).

Make sure that you puree well. Too cold a freezer: sorbet is going to be best if it's not frozen extremely cold, but your freezer probably is nice and cold. Be willing to let it sit out a little bit before eating, or and perhaps keep it in the door where it's slightly warmer.