Cherry Sorbet
Cherry Sorbet is made with fresh Bing cherries, a splash of red wine and just enough sugar to highlight the fruit flavor. This lush sorbet has a deep cherry flavor that is simply beautiful.
Table of contents
Why I love This Recipe
I love a good sorbet. Ice cream is wonderful, of course. But a good sorbet is a light and refreshing celebration of seasonal fruit.
This cherry sorbet has a particularly lush texture thanks to the natural pectin and fiber in the fruit. Pectin and fiber thicken the fruit puree and interfere with the formation of large ice crystals. Lots of tiny ice crystals translates to a smooth, scoopable and luscious sorbet.
To highlight the fruit flavor, I added just a little red wine. Remember, alcohol accentuates certain flavors. Alcohol also lowers the freezing point of water, further ensuring you won’t have a rock-hard sorbet.
There’s plenty more science behind a great sorbet recipe. If you’re a geek like me, visit my Blackberry Sorbet post to learn more about the science of sorbet.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker you can turn this recipe into a granita. See the “notes” section of the recipe card for instructions.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cherries – I used fresh Bing cherries in this recipe. You can use frozen cherries. You can make the sorbet with sour cherries, but taste the puree as you may need to adjust the sugar.
- Red Wine – A little alcohol keeps the sorbet from freezing rock-solid and accentuates the fruit flavor. Use a light and fruity red wine without a lot of tannins. Pinot Noir, Grenache, Chianti or Valpolicella are good options. If you don’t want alcohol you can leave it out but the sorbet will be firmer.
Step by Step Photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Put the cherries, sugar, wine and salt in a food processor or blender.
- Puree the fruit.
- Pour the puree through a fine mesh strainer.
- Discard or compost the skins left in the strainer.
- Chill the puree for several hours until it’s very cold.
- Run the puree in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Transfer the sorbet to a freezer container.
- Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sorbet and freeze until solid.
How to Make This Recipe Without An Ice Cream Machine
If you don’t have an ice cream maker you can turn the mix into a granita.
- Pour the mix into a flat metal pan, like a 13×9 brownie pan.
- Place the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Use a fork to stir the mixture and scrape any ice that formed around the edges of the mix.
- Repeat every 30 minutes for 3-4 hours until you have a fluffy, scoopable texture made up of small ice crystals.
More Cherry Recipes
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Cherry Sorbet
Ingredients
- 24 oz Bing Cherries
- 4 oz red wine (½ cup, see note)
- 6 oz granulated sugar (¾ cup)
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- Stem and pit 24 oz Bing Cherries. Put the cherries into a food processor with 4 oz red wine, 6 oz granulated sugar and ⅛ teaspoon table salt. Puree the mixture until smooth.
- Strain the puree through a fine sieve. You should have about 4 cups of puree.
- Refrigerate until the mix is very cold, at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
- Run in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions. (See Note)
- Pack into a plastic container, cover the surface with plastic wrap, cover and freeze overnight
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