Concord Grape Sorbet is a light, delicious and refreshing dessert recipe. A fall twist on the classic lemon sorbet, it's a thirst-quenching, tasty and light way to end a meal.
Sorbet is the non-dairy version of Italian gelato. It's just as creamy, but lighter and lower in calories.
The absence of animal ingredients (such as milk, cream and eggs), combined with a generous dose of fruit, makes sorbet one of the lightest and most refreshing desserts around.
Uva Fragola (Concord grape), also known in Italy as Uva Americana, is a variety of grape that can be found from the end of August to the beginning of October.
Its intense, sweet and particularly aromatic flavor makes it the ideal ingredient for preparing a delicious seasonal sorbet.
We will show you how to make concord grape sorbet WITH or WITHOUT an ICE CREAM MAKER. All you need are concord grapes, sugar and lemon juice. That's all!
You can also use this delicious fall fruit to make a fantastic Tuscan grape focaccia, perfect for your breakfasts and snacks.
Concord Grape Sorbet is a fresh and light end of summer dessert with a beautiful purple color. This sorbet recipe will make you welcome the arrival of fall with a touch of sweetness and cheerfulness!
Ingredients
WITH Ice Cream Maker:
- Prep Time: 15 Min + about 40 min in ice cream maker
- Servings: 4/6 people that is about 500 g (1,1 lb) of Sorbet
WITHOUT Ice Cream Maker:
- Prep Time: 15 Min + cooling in the freezer for about 4 H
- Servings: 4/6 people that is about 500 g (1,1 lb) of Sorbet
- 800 g (1 ¾ pound) of Concord grapes, to make about 500 g (1.1 pound) of filtered grape juice
- 100 g (½ cup) of granulated sugar
- 1 medium lemon
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
- First, you need a good quality traditional blender or immersion blender. You will use it to blend the grapes to a thick, smooth consistency.
- Next you will need a fine-mesh strainer to strain through the blended grapes and remove any remaining skins and seeds.
- Also very convenient for this preparation is a juicer machine, which removes all the waste immediately.
- Another useful tool for making this easy sorbet recipe surely is an ice cream maker. There are various types of ice cream makers, but the best is the one that has a compressor that cools while churning the sorbet. We recommend Whynter Automatic Ice Cream Maker.
- In addition, other high-performance ice cream and sorbet machines are Musso ice cream makers. The smallest model, Lello 4080 Musso Lussino, is made for home use but has the same features as the professional machines. This type of machine is very similar to the professional one. It's a little expensive but with this ice cream maker you will have a perfect Italian Sorbet and - above all - in quite a short time.
- Other types of ice cream makers, without a compressor, plan to keep the special container of the machine in the freezer many hours in advance to cool the ingredients while mixing them, but its autonomy is quite short. We recommend the Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker which we find to be inexpensive and practical.
- Making sorbet recipe without an ice cream maker: the result will still be good if you follow our recipe really well, step by step. In this case you will need a stainless steel sorbet container or glass containers with lids. These will also be useful for storing sorbet made with an ice cream maker.
Instructions
Now we will show you how to make Concorde Grape Sorbet WITH and WITHOUT the ICE CREAM MAKER. So be sure to follow our step-by-step recipe!
IMPORTANT! First of all, if you are NOT going to use the ice cream maker, do not forget to put a STAINLESS STEEL or GLASS container (not plastic this time!) in the freezer for a few hours ahead. When you are ready to pour the sorbet mixture, the container MUST be frozen.
Step 1) - First wash the grapes thoroughly and gently. Next remove the grapes from the bunch. Then squeeze the lemon and set aside.
Step 2) - Place the grapes in the bowl of a blender. Add the lemon juice to the grapes and blend until pureed.
Step 3) - Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer using a spatula. Press well to collect as much pulp and juice as possible removing the excess skin and seeds.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have a JUICER MACHINE, you can use it for this step. This will save you from having to strain the grape puree by hand.
Finally, add the granulated sugar and mix well until completely dissolved.
How to Make Concord Grape Sorbet WITH Ice Cream Maker
Step 4a) - At this point, you can pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and start it up.
Follow the machine's instructions. We used an ice cream maker with a compressor that cools as it churns the sorbet. It took about 40 minutes to make the sorbet.
Once made, you can enjoy your concord grape sorbet right away, or store it in the freezer in a special container.
How to Make Concord Grape Sorbet WITHOUT Ice Cream Maker
Step 4b) - If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can still make a great sorbet. The process is very simple, but takes a little more time.
Pour the Concord grape mixture into the previously cooled container.
Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and stir with a whisk. Return the sorbet to the freezer.
This mixing process should be repeated 4 or 5 times. Always about 30 minutes apart (about 5 hours is needed).
If the sorbet is nearly liquid at first, it will gradually become more consistent. If you break up the ice crystals well each time, you will end up with a creamy Concord grape sorbet, similar to what you get with an ice cream maker!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Strawberry Gelato Recipe
- Peach Sorbet Recipe
- Grape Risotto Recipe | Risotto all’Uva
- Italian Grape Tartlets Recipe with Pastry Cream
- Strawberry Sorbet Recipe
- Watermelon Sorbet Recipe
Storage
You can store Concord Grape Sorbet in the freezer for up to 10 days.
Of course, the sorbet is best enjoyed freshly made. It's creamy and just the right consistency.
But if you want to store it in the freezer for a long time, you run the risk of ending up with a completely frozen block.
In fact, sorbets do not contain fat like gelato, which prevents them from freezing completely.
You can solve this problem as follows:
- Take the sorbet out of the freezer and let it stand at room temperature for about ten minutes.
- Using a spoon or knife, break the block into pieces and place in a blender.
- Blend until creamy and return to the freezer for about 10 minutes before serving.
Variations
How to Make Concord Grape Sorbet Creamier with Egg Whites
The secret to making a particularly creamy sorbet is the addition of whipped egg whites.
The egg white prevents the ice crystals from thickening and gives the sorbet a fine, creamy texture.
Of course, this method is not suitable for vegans and adds calories to the sorbet, as well as reducing its shelf life.
So add about 30 grams (1 ounce, about the white of 2 medium eggs) of whipped egg whites with half the amount of sugar.
Concord Grape Sorbet with an Alcoholic Twist
To make the sorbet more flavorful and add a touch of zing, you can flavor the Concord grape sorbet by adding 70 ml (⅓ cup) of prosecco, brandy or Port wine before freezing.
How to Serve Concord Grape Sorbet
The consistency of the sorbet will vary depending on its use.
DIGESTIVE: If you intend to use the sorbet as an interlude between dishes or as a digestif, it is best if the sorbet has a slightly more liquid consistency. Serve it in a flute with a straw as if it were a drink.
DESSERT: If you want to serve sorbet as a dessert, it should have a full-bodied consistency, like gelato. Serve it in small cups with teaspoons.
Recipe Card
Concord Grape Sorbet Recipe
Ingredients
- 800 g grapes 1 ¾ pound, Concord (for ~500 g (1.1 pound) of filtered grape juice
- 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
- 1 lemon medium size
Instructions
- Wash the grapes thoroughly and gently. Next remove the grapes from the bunch. Then squeeze the lemon and set aside.
- Place the grapes in the bowl of a blender. Add the lemon juice to the grapes and blend until pureed.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer using a spatula. Press well to collect as much pulp and juice as possible removing the excess skin and seeds. PLEASE NOTE: If you have a JUICER MACHINE, you can use it for this step. This will save you from having to strain the grape puree by hand.
- Finally, add the granulated sugar and mix well until completely dissolved.
HOW TO MAKE CONCORD GRAPE SORBET WITH ICE CREAM MAKER
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and start it up. Follow the machine's instructions. We used an ice cream maker with a compressor that cools as it churns the sorbet. It took about 40 minutes to make the sorbet.
- Once made, you can enjoy your concord grape sorbet right away, or store it in the freezer in a special container.
HOW TO MAKE CONCORD GRAPE SORBET WITHOUT ICE CREAM MAKER
- Pour the Concord grape mixture into the previously cooled container.
- Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and stir with a whisk. Return the sorbet to the freezer. This mixing process should be repeated 4 or 5 times. Always about 30 minutes apart (about 5 hours is needed).
- If the sorbet is nearly liquid at first, it will gradually become more consistent. If you break up the ice crystals well each time, you will end up with a creamy Concord grape sorbet, similar to what you get with an ice cream maker!
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