A refreshing strawberry sorbet recipe that combines sweet, ripe strawberries with fragrant rose water. A dash of this unusual ingredient adds a heady, floral note and an irresistible flavor to this easy, dairy-free frozen dessert.
Juicy, sweet strawberries are one of my favorite summertime treats. When they are in season, I often buy them by the flat and incorporate them into smoothies, cheesecake-inspired yogurt parfaits, and even green salads. But one of my favorite uses for strawberries is this sorbet, which highlights their intense flavor and produces a dessert with a stunning, ruby-red hue.
Because strawberries are high in pectin, they make an especially creamy sorbet with a texture similar to ice cream. That’s because the pectin acts as a thickener and helps prevent the growth of ice crystals. But unlike homemade ice cream, which often requires cooking a custard base and waiting hours for it to chill, sorbet is simple and fairly quick to make. It can go straight from the blender to the ice cream maker.
Table of Contents
What is in Strawberry Sorbet?
Adding a spoonful of rose water intensifies the strawberry flavor of this sorbet. The the subtle fragrance of roses is so irresistible that when working on this recipe, I found myself taking a whiff from the bottle whenever I passed through my kitchen! And did you know that strawberries and roses are in the same plant family? No wonder they are a perfect match.
- Strawberries: Buy the ripest, reddest strawberries you can find. Have extra? Here’s how to store them.
- Sugar: In addition to adding sweetness, sugar plays a food science role in this sorbet recipe. The right amount prevents ice crystals from forming and creates a semi-soft, scoopable texture.
- Lemon juice adds acidity and balances the sweetness of the strawberries.
- Kosher salt: A pinch of salt brings out the sweetness of the strawberries.
- Rose water adds a subtle floral aroma and enhances the sweetness of the strawberries. Since cold dulls the fragrance of rose water slightly, you can use up to a tablespoon without overpowering results.
Ingredient Spotlight
Distilled from fresh rose petals, rose water is used throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East to add a delicate floral quality to sweet cakes and savory foods. Just make sure you purchase food-grade rose water for this recipe. You can also order this spectacular rose water made in Lebanon or at our online store.
- READ MORE: What is Rose Water and How Do You Use It?
- TRY IT: Rose Water distilled from rose petals in Lebanon
How to Make Strawberry Sorbet with Rose Water
Some sorbet recipes call for making a simple syrup or dissolving the sugar in boiling water. But I’ve found that step isn’t necessary. If you have a high-speed blender, it’s easy to incorporate the sugar with the berries. After using a fine-mesh strainer to remove some of the seeds, the purée can be churned immediately or chilled overnight. Here’s the whole process:
- Purée all ingredients: Combine 2 quarts hulled strawberries and 1 cup sugar in a high-speed blender and purée on low, for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2 to 3 teaspoons of rose water. Raise speed to high and continue to purée until mixture is completely smooth.
- Strain mixture: Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or measuring cup. Pour purée into strainer and use a flexible spatula to force the mixture through it. At this point, you can chill the mixture up to overnight, or proceed with churning.
- Churn sorbet: Pour the strawberry mixture into a chilled ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Freeze until solid: Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze until the texture is firm enough to scoop, about 4 hours.
- Serve and enjoy: If sorbet has been chilled for more than 6 hours, let it sit at room temperature until it has softened enough to scoop, for 5 to 15 minutes. Serve in ice cream glasses or bowls.
Tips for Making Sorbet
- Respect the ratios: Don’t reduce the sugar! Using too little sugar can produce sorbet that is icy and hard to scoop.
- Use an automatic ice cream maker: I recommend an electric machine that does the churning for you, with a 2-quart capacity that makes enough for a crowd.
- Freeze the canister: If you’re using an ice cream maker with a canister insert, it must be frozen before using. Plan for this 12 to 24 hours before you want to make the sorbet.
- Give it time: Sorbet is easy to make, but generally, it’s too soft to eat straight out of the machine, and will take up to 4 hours to “cure” in the freezer before it’s the right texture for scooping. If it has been hanging out in the freezer overnight, it might need 15 minutes at room temperature before you can scoop it.
Make It Your Own
As long as you keep the ratio of fruit to sugar the same, this recipe is flexible. Here are some ideas for how to customize it to suit your preferences, or the season!
- Use frozen strawberries: It’s not always possible to find ripe, locally grown strawberries. Luckily, you can always find frozen ones. Frozen might even be your best option because the berries will have been frozen at the peak of ripeness. Here’s how to make it:
- Macerate strawberries overnight: Combine 2 1/2 pounds of frozen strawberries and 1 cup sugar in a large, deep bowl and toss until berries are coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Puree in blender: The next day, the sugar will have mostly dissolved, and the berries will be soft enough to blend. Pour the strawberries and scrape all the juices into a high-speed blender and proceed with the recipe.
- Try a different berry: This sorbet would also be lovely with raspberries. Don’t skip the step of straining the berries to remove the seeds.
- Swap in stone fruit: Like berries, peaches, apricots, and nectarines are high in pectin and produce a sorbet with a beautiful texture. Replace the strawberries with an equal volume of chopped stone fruit.
- Citrus: Swap the lemon juice for lime juice.
- Change the flavor: I love the floral note added by the rose water, but the recipe will work without it. You can also use orange flower water instead or substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for the rose water.
What to Serve with Strawberry Sorbet
Strawberry sorbet is the perfect end to just about any summer evening! It’s an especially welcome treat after a rich meal, since it is fat-free. I think it would be fun to serve as part of a strawberry-themed menu that included Strawberry Spinach Salad, or Mediterranean Strawberry Orzo Pasta Salad, and washed down with Strawberry Bellinis or this non-alcoholic Strawberry Lemonade.
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Strawberry Sorbet
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 quarts (about 2 1/2 pounds) strawberries, hulled
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons rose water (optional)
Instructions
- Purée all ingredients. Combine strawberries and sugar in a high-speed blender and purée on low until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, salt, and rosewater. Raise speed to high and continue to purée until mixture is completely smooth.
- Strain sorbet mixture. Set a fine strainer over a large bowl or measuring cup. Pour purée into strainer and use a flexible spatula to force the mixture through it. You should have about 1 quart of puree. At this point, you can chill the mixture up to overnight or proceed with churning.
- Churn sorbet. Pour the strawberry mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Freeze until solid. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze until the texture is firm enough to scoop, about 4 hours.
- Scoop and serve. If sorbet has been chilled for more than a few hours, let it sit at room temperature until it is soft enough to scoop, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve in ice cream glasses or bowls.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the rose water used in this recipe.
- Tip: if you’re using the style of ice cream maker with a canister insert, it must be frozen solid before using. If it’s only partially frozen (meaning you can still hear the liquid inside slosh if you turn it over) your sorbet is more likely to have a hard, icy texture. Freeze it for at least 12 hours.
- To Use Frozen Strawberries: It’s not always possible to find ripe, locally grown strawberries. Luckily, you can always find frozen ones. Frozen might even be your best option because the berries will have been processed at the peak of ripeness. Here’s how to make it:
- Macerate Strawberries Overnight: Combine 2½ pounds of frozen strawberries and 1 cup sugar in a large, deep bowl and toss until berries are coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Puree in blender: The next day, the sugar will have mostly dissolved, and the berries will be soft enough to blend. Pour the strawberries and scrape all the juices into a high-speed blender and proceed with the recipe.
- Change the flavor: You can also use orange flower water instead or substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for the rose water, or you can omit it altogether.
- Storage: This strawberry sorbet will keep for a couple of weeks in the freezer, but it’s best eaten within a day or so.
Nutrition
Ó•Florale 100% Natural Rose Water
Made using a time-honored distillation process, a splash adds a delicate and aromatic quality to sweet and savory dishes, from compotes and rice pudding to ice-cold lemonade.
