Necessity and getting rid of left-overs equals sorbets, that’s my personal math when it comes to cleaning up lemons in my refrigerator. That’s exactly how I feel sometimes, after my last post for the Chia, Honey, Lemon 5 Spice Pound Cake, I had to figure a way out to use up all that fresh lemon juice. An herb infused lemon sorbet was just what I needed this week. Citrus fruits are my pick-me up, get-out-of-your-funk, refresher, source-of-energy, etc and they always cheer me up. And this wintry snow every week (that really needs to go away) has me in a funk.
I don’t have any luck growing rosemary, beyond the warm weather season here. Every year, I plant some, it does well and then come winter, it dies. This year, I’m tossing the towel in and giving up. Oregano has never been a problem but rosemary just hates me! On a side note, I’m hoping that after three years perhaps, my pomegranate tree/bush/shrub will finally bloom and fruit.
I’ve added the rosemary to the sugar syrup to infuse the oils and flavors and then cooled it completely before adding the lemon juice and zest. The reason for this, Vitamin C or Ascorbic acid in lemons is heat-labile, it gets destroyed on heating, so not only does this sorbet pack some Vitamin C but it also tastes and smells fresh with all those wonderful citrus notes.
lemon rosemary sorbet
yields: 4 servings
ingredients
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 medium sized sprigs of rosemary, fresh (about 2-3 tablespoons, I used two 4 inch sprigs)
2 teaspoons lemon zest, fresh
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (if you like it less tart, use 1/2 cup juice instead)
1. Place the sugar, water and rosemary in a medium sized saucepan. Heat the contents until the sugar dissolves completely, then bring to a boil on a medium-high flame and remove from flame. Keep aside until cooled to room temperature. Once cooled, discard the rosemary sprigs and transfer the sugar syrup to a gallon ziplock bag.
2. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice to the the syrup in the ziplock bag. Seal the bag airtight and place in a ice water bath for 30 minutes.
3. Pour the liquid into the frozen canister of your ice cream maker. Churn the liquid until the sorbet is frozen and has acquired a creamy white consistency. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight and freezer-safe container and cover the surface with a layer of parchment paper. Freeze the sorbet for at least 4 hours before serving.
12 Responses
A heavenly combination. This sorbet must be exquisite.
Cheers,
Rosa
oh don't give up on your rosemary plant! we planted our first illegal rooftop (my condo assoc would flip if they found out!) and the profusion of fresh herbs we had last summer was so great. looking fwd to it again this year. i don't have any words of advice, i feel like it was all beginner's luck for me… just don't quit!
this sorbet is delightful sounding. it just snowed again today and i'm freezing but this will be made when the season is firmly set in warmth!
Very refreshing!
i wish i had a green thumb too..basil and tomatoes only stay alive in my mini patio garden..lemon and rosemary together sounds just wonderful in this sorbet.
While the plant my perish the sprigs may last in a jar of water. I often put extra rosemary and basil branches in water and they start rooting and continue living for months. They don't usually make it to the next spring but I still have a piece from last summer and it is February.
This is just too gorgeous for words – and my rose mary didn't do too well this year either – but it's a flavor I just love all year round.
Looks refreshing and delicious.
It looks just AMAZING!!!!
This looks so summery!! Love 🙂
you had me at ROSEMARY!!!!! yum. and that is so interesting about the vitamin c thing! love the styling too 🙂
I made this with tequila and a couple of strawberries and it was awesome!
I love that this is dairy free. I wondered about your climate, since you mentioned that your Rosemary died in winter. I’ve never had that problem here in Utah near SLC where cold is 10 – 15 degrees at times. I just cut it back today and wanted to find some uses. Thank you