Strawberry Fields Forever

Its strawberry season!  The farmers markets and our CSA are flooded with them.  This year, I've really tried not to eat a lot of out of season berries.  They're just not worth it and it makes me appreciate the sweet,  fresh picked berries of the summer even more.

I want to use these berries in recipes that really make their flavors shine.  Berries need to be the star of the show.  And since the late-June heat is setting in, I decided to dust off my ice cream maker.  I've made strawberry ice cream before, but I was really craving undiluted strawberry flavor so I decided to make a strawberry sorbet, brightened up with some lime juice and zest.

I used Cook's Illustrated recipe, since they never fail and it was incredibly easy.  You don't even have to heat the sugar syrup.  Just stir sugar into fruit syrup until it dissolves.  

The only challenge is waiting for the ice cream maker to do its thing until you can eat the sorbet.  In typical Cook's fashion, there's a clever scientific twist in this recipe.  You add a little vodka to the syrup (or booze of your choice).  Because alcohol doesn't freeze, adding a little to the sorbet keeps it from freezing too solid when stored in the freezer, so it comes out firm but still a bit soft and scoopable.  

Strawberry Lime Sorbet

3 1/2 cups quartered strawberries

Juice of 2 limes

zest of 1 lime

3/4 sugar

1 Tbsp vodka

• Puree strawberries, lime juice and zest in food processor.
• Pour into bowl and stir in vodka and sugar.  Let sit for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until sugar is dissolved.
• Pour mixture into bowl of ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.  
• Enjoy straight from the machine or freeze for 2 - 3 hours for a firmer texture.

I save old ice cream cartons to store sorbet and ice cream.  This sorbet is great straight up...

Or scooped into a cold glass of prosecco...