Orange Sherbet

When we say sherbet, orange flavor tops the list that it’s almost synonymous to the frozen treat itself. So that it’s a must that I include this in my sherbet creations.

The whole production aspect is easy. From the preparation of the ingredients down to the method is a no brainer. Even a kid with minimum supervision can pull this off- fruit puree or juice, sugar and 2% fat milk; stir, freeze, churn and freeze again and voila- sherbet! At least, from my understanding of what sherbet is made of. So I stuck to it and I have my version of orange sherbet.

You need:

3 1/2 cups fresh orange juice – I used about 7 large Navel oranges
juice of 1 medium lemon
1 1/2 cup simple syrup
2 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups 2% fat milk

Method:

Place all the ingredients except the milk in a food processor or blender. Pulse until well blended then pour into a fine sieve to remove the pulp bits. Add the milk and whisk together until well blended. Pour into a lidded freezer container to freeze for two hours or until slightly firm. Transfer to the ice cream maker and churn/whip for 15 minutes. Transfer back to the lidded container and freeze until firm or overnight before serving.

I was a bit concerned that my sherbet mix didn't turn out orange-y especially after adding the milk so I added a couple of drops of vegetable food coloring to achieve that.

You know how we all want to grab anything cold when it’s blasting hot so we indulge in ice cream and other frozen treats but after devouring everything, it leaves us thirsty in the end? Well, there’s none of that here. It is more refreshing than creamy because it has only 2% fat milk in it. I believe it is due to the fact that I did not puree my oranges but used pure juice hence the product is just of a liquid with no texture. Add 2% fat milk and it tastes faintly of milk but not creamy at all. So texture-wise, I will not claim that my orange sherbet will take you to a trip down memory lane when you were a kid chasing the ice cream truck for that orange creamsicle but the taste is definitely pure orange deliciousness.

It’s amusing how my frozen concoction series turned out. I did not get the crunchy ice crystals when I made my raspberry-lime granita; it came out like a sorbet. My mango sorbet was so creamy it came out like a sherbet- and now my sherbet came out slushy almost like a granita. But it's all good! But like they say; "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" so let's hear from my Special Quality Control Crew when they get to sample this.