I know what you’re thinking, “Grapefruit sorbet, really?”.
Yes really! I had a grapefruit sorbet once at a fancy restaurant celebrating a milestone birthday for my dad. Part way through the meal they brought out a palate cleanser in the form of a grapefruit sorbet. For reference, a palate cleanser refreshes your palate (aka your taste/smells) before the next course, or before starting the dinner (think tasting menus).
This grapefruit sorbet was so refreshing. Tangy and citrusy, yet slightly sweet and comforting at the same time. Ever since I have been obsessed with the flavour. Now, I’ve found out how to make a grapefruit sorbet without a machine that, although isn’t as smooth as a machine made version, it’s not too far off and it tastes fantastic.
How to make a grapefruit sorbet
it’s really quite simple. First off you need the correct ingredients:
- Roughly 5 ripe Grapefruits (pink or red, your choice)
- Icing Sugar
- Vodka (to stop it freezing solid)
That’s it. You could add some lemon to this too, so 4 grapefruits and 1 lemon, but I prefer to grapefruit taste to be pure.
Once the ingredients are combined together, it’s a case of whacking it in the freezer and giving it a little love for a few hours. Set aside 4 hours and blend the mixture every 30 minutes to prevent large ice crystals forming. After 4 hours it can be left to freeze for as long as it’s needed – For reference, I’ve had this in the freezer for a couple weeks and it’s still been fantastic.
It takes a little time to get it going, but once the 4 hours have passed it’s there for when it’s needed. It pays to make a big batch.
How can a grapefruit sorbet be used?
Grapefruit sorbet can be used in more ways than you think. Here are some examples we love:
- A palate cleanser for a fancy dinner – it’s a real surprise for guests.
- An ice cold summer treat/dessert. Don’t underestimate just how good this is on its own on a very hot summers day. Bliss.
- Make a cocktail with it. Throw a big scoop into a Gin & Tonic and you have yourself a Frozen Grapefruit G&T. Sublime.
- A slushy. Simply add two large scoops to a glass, top up with a dash of lemonade and allow it to melt ever so slightly, chuck in a straw and enjoy.
Grapefruit Sorbet Video Tutorial
Grapefruit Sorbet Recipe
The Most Refreshing Grapefruit Sorbet (without a machine)
Equipment
- Blender
- Juicer (either manual or a machine)
- Jug
- Sieve
Ingredients
- 5 Large Red Grapefruits Should get roughly 700ml juice
- 140 g Icing Sugar
- 70 ml Vodka
Instructions
Pre-Freeze
- Juice all the grapefruits until no more juice can be extracted and place the juice into a jug.
- Add this juice to a blender through a seive to remove the unwanted pips/flesh.
- Add the icing suhar to the blender - no need to seive this.
- Blend the sugar and juice until fully combine and the juice turns a light pink colour - roughly 1-2 minutes.
- Add the vodka and stir well with a spoon.
- Add the mixture to a solid freezable container - cover with a lid, or clingfilm.
Freezing
- Place in the freezer for 4 hours - every 30 minutes remove from the freezer and blend to reduce the ice crystal formation and create a smoother sorbet.
- Place back in the freezer after the final blend and leave overnight for best results - or at least another 4 hours.
- Note - this can be left in the freezer for weeks, just like ice cream. So it's best to make a big batch. Try doubling up the recipe if you can, jsut blend in batches to prevent you kitchen being decorated pink!
Notes
- Try and buy the best grapefruits you can. The better they are the better your sorbet will taste.
- Allow the blender to run for at least a minute to really make sure the mixture is smooth and incorporated.
- The trick to getting a really smooth and delicious sorbet is to blend it every 1 hour whilst it's freezing. Simply remove from the freezer, pour into the blender, blend until smooth, add back to the container and place in the freezer. Repeat until the sorbet has been in the freezer for 4 hours.
- After the final frozen blend it will still be soft and slush like - try leaving in for as long as you can, overnight is best (i.e. 8-12 hours). Once it's set, it will be ready for months of use.
- The vodka stops the mixture from freezing solid, and allows it to be scoop-able.
