Strawberry Basil Sorbet
Nothing heralds the start of summer like strawberry season, and there’s no better way to cool down than with a bowl of sorbet made from local strawberries and herbs! It's important to look for deep red berries and equally crucial to sniff for the sweet aroma of perfectly ripe fruit. Finding these gems will result in an intensely flavored sorbet to enjoy at home. Selena Warsaw- Lane adds tulsi (also known as holy basil)—which has a pungent, warm and sweet taste that complements the punchy bold flavor of strawberries—but any type of basil can be used for this recipe.
Ingredients
1 pound local fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup tulsi (or other basil variety)
Pinch of salt
Directions
Slice the strawberries and toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Cover and let stand for 1 hour, stirring every so often until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Pour the strawberry mixture with all its liquid, tulsi or basil, and salt in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. If you wish to remove the seeds, press the mixture through a mesh strainer.
If you have an ice cream maker, chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, follow the next set of steps to achieve a smooth sorbet.
Pour the sorbet mixture into a standard-sized loaf pan (9 x 5-inch or similar, freezer-safe container) and place it in the freezer. If you have a deep freezer, opt for this instead of the freezer attached to your fridge as the faster you can get the mixture to freeze, the fewer ice crystals will form.
Check on the sorbet every hour. Remove it from the freezer and quickly stir and mash the sorbet to help break up ice crystals and achieve a smoother texture. Return to the freezer. The mixture should be ready in 3 to 5 hours.
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