Savor the refreshing sweetness of a strawberry sorbet made at home! This easy-to-make recipe blends fresh strawberries with a hint of lemon for a deliciousl frozen treat. Perfect for hot summer days or anytime you crave a burst of fruity goodness!
The simplest and most delicious recipe you can make with strawberries is for sure the sorbet. Strawberry sorbet is a great spring alternative to the classic Lemon Sorbet, that you can enjoy all year round. Making it at home is really simple. The essential thing is that the strawberries are well ripe and flavorful.
Let me remind you that, unlike Italian gelato, sorbets do not contain animal fats and proteins. Therefore, sorbet is much less caloric than gelato.
Water, sugar, strawberries and a little lemon juice! These are the ingredients you need to make this easy homemade strawberry sorbet. You will be thrilled with the result!
Ingredients
WITH Ice Cream Maker:
- Prep Time: 30 Min + about 40 Min in ice cream maker
- Cook Time: 5 Min
- Servings: 4 to 6 people (about 500 g / 1.1 lb of strawberry sorbet)
WITHOUT Ice Cream Maker:
- Prep Time: 30 Min + about 4 Hours in the freezer
- Cook time: 5 Min
- Servings: 4 to 6 people (about 500 g / 1.1 lb of strawberry sorbet)
- 180 g (12 tablespoons) of granulated sugar
- 230 ml (1 cup) of water
- 500 g (1.1 pound) of fresh strawberries
- ½ lemon juice
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
- First, you need either a traditional blender or a good quality immersion blender. You need to use it to blend the strawberries to a thick, smooth consistency.
- Another useful tool for making this easy sorbet recipe surely is an ice cream and sorbet maker. There are various types, but the best is the one that has a compressor that cools while blending the sorbet. We recommend Whynter Automatic Ice Cream Maker.
- In addition, another high-performance ice cream and sorbet machines are Musso ice cream makers. They are completely made in Italy but have successfully spread throughout the world. 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 ahead of time to cool the ingredients while mixing them, but its autonomy is quite short. We recommend Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker which in our opinion is inexpensive and practical.
- Prepare sorbet recipe without ice cream maker: the result will still be good if you follow our step-by-step recipe very well. In this case you will need a sorbet container in which to make and then store the sorbet.
Instructions
I will now show you how to make strawberry sorbet WITH and WITHOUT the ice cream maker. Follow my recipe step by step!
BEFORE YOU START! if you are not going to use the ice cream maker, do not forget to put a container in the freezer for a few hours beforehand. When you are ready to pour in the sorbet mixture, the container MUST be very cold.
How to Make Strawberry Sorbet WITH Ice Cream Maker
Step 1) - Wash the strawberries. Then remove the green bunch and any spoiled or unripe parts. Finally, dry them with the paper towel.
Step 2) - In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat. Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely. Meanwhile, squeeze ½ lemon to get its juice.
Step 3) - Pour the lemon juice into a blender glass. Add the strawberries and blend for a few moments until thick.
Step 4) - Add the cooled sugar syrup. Mix well. You should end up with a smooth mixture. Pour the strawberry sorbet mixture into the basket of the ice cream maker.
Step 5 A) - Follow the machine's instructions and let it churn the sorbet. This usually takes about 40 minutes. When finished, you can enjoy your strawberry sorbet right away or store it in a container in the freezer.
How to Make Strawberry Sorbet WITHOUT Ice Cream Maker
If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can still make a great strawberry sorbet. The process is very simple, but it takes more time (5 hours instead of 40 minutes).
BEFORE YOU START! Place a container in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Step 5 B) - Follow the first 4 steps above. When the strawberry sorbet mixture is ready, pour it into the 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 strawberry sorbet to the freezer.
Step 6 B) - This mixing process should be repeated 4 or 5 times. Always about 30 minutes apart ( it takes about 5 hours).
If the strawberry sorbet is practically 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 strawberry sorbet, similar to what you get with an ice cream maker. Enjoy!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Strawberry Gelato Recipe
- How to Make Authentic Italian Gelato at Home
- Homemade Orange Sorbet Recipe with Fresh Oranges
- Easy Fresh Strawberry Cake
- Strawberry Mascarpone Cake
Storage
You can store strawberry sorbet in the freezer for up to a month.
Of course, the sorbet tastes best when it is freshly made and has 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 ice cream, which prevents them from completely solidifying.
You can solve this problem as follows:
Take the sorbet out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Then use a spoon or knife to 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 and Tips
- LEMON JUICE: If you prefer, you can omit the lemon juice. But the flavor of lemon, even in small amounts, greatly enhances the flavor of the strawberries.
- CRIMIER WITH BANANA: If you want to make an even creamier sorbet, I recommend adding a banana to the strawberries.
- CREMIER WITH EGG WHITE: A half-whipped egg white also has the function of making the sorbet creamier, but it's obviously not suitable if you want to avoid ingredients of animal origin.
- DECORATION: You can decorate the strawberry sorbet cup with a fresh mint leaf. If you like ginger, you can grate it fresh together with the strawberries.
- WHIPPED CREAM: In Sicily they like to add whipped cream to the sorbet. Strawberry sorbet is by far the one that goes best with cream. You will then have a dessert that is richer and tastier, but still less caloric than classic gelato.
- WITH ALCOHOL: If you like it, alcohol can be a great addition to sorbet, both for flavor and for its effect on texture.
In fact, alcohol lowers the freezing point of the mixture, making the sorbet softer and easier to pour.
A complementary alcohol for strawberry sorbet could be LImoncello, which is a perfect match, or , for a drier taste, Vodka.
Mix it into the basic sorbet recipe before freezing it. Remember that a little alcohol ( about 50-60 ml) is enough: too much alcohol may prevent the sorbet from congealing properly.
Recipe Card
Strawberry Sorbet Recipe (WITH or WITHOUT Ice Cream Maker)
Ingredients
- 180 g granulated sugar 12 tablespoons
- 230 ml water 1 cup
- 500 g strawberries 1.1 pound
- ½ lemon juice
Instructions
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY SORBET WITH ICE CREAM MAKER
- Wash the strawberries. Then remove the green bunch and any spoiled or unripe parts. Finally, dry them with the paper towel.
- In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat. Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely. Meanwhile, squeeze ½ lemon to get its juice.
- Pour the lemon juice into a blender glass. Add the strawberries and blend for a few moments until thick.
- Add the cooled sugar syrup. Mix well. You should end up with a smooth mixture. Pour the strawberry sorbet mixture into the basket of the ice cream maker.
- Follow the machine's instructions and let it churn the sorbet. This usually takes about 40 minutes. When finished, you can enjoy your strawberry sorbet right away or store it in a container in the freezer.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY SORBET WITHOUT ICE CREAM MAKER
- BEFORE YOU START! Place a container in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
- Follow the first 4 steps above. When the strawberry sorbet mixture is ready, pour it into the 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 strawberry sorbet to the freezer.
- This mixing process should be repeated 4 or 5 times. Always about 30 minutes apart ( it takes about 5 hours). If the strawberry sorbet is practically 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 strawberry sorbet, similar to what you get with an ice cream maker. Enjoy!
Summer says
Hi, I added a bit of cream for a creamier taste! I liked it so much! Perfect!!
Joanie says
This sorbet is wonderful. Perfect strawberry flavor, great texture when allowed to thaw for just a few minutes. So easy to make with ice cream maker.
Luisa says
I love strawberry sorbet. Thank you for the great recipe!
Mike says
I love this sorbet!
Bob says
Can vodka be added to this?
Silvana Nava says
Hi Bob,
If you like a touch of alcohol you can definitely add it.
About 50 ml (~3 tablespoons) of Vodka will do just fine. I also recommend that you try the strawberry sorbet with Limoncello, it's amazing!