Thursday, March 3

Green apple sorbet

03_11---Green-Apple-Sorbet2

I first made green apple sorbet was about a year and a half ago and it wasn't anything to write home about. I'd just received a stand mixer and an ice cream bowl attachment and I was super excited about using it. I picked a recipe and started making it. Not knowing anything about making ice cream and sorbet I didn't realise just how smooth a puree needs to be to make creamy ice cream. I neither pureed the apples enough nor strained them. The result was a gritty sorbet with a weird, weird texture. Sure, it tasted good but how it felt in your mouth was all wrong.

One and a half years later, with fond memories of the taste of my ill-fated sorbet, I've given it another shot. This time I've come out successful, the texture of this sorbet is much nicer and the taste is wonderful.

There are a few things I liked about the original recipe that, unfortunately, didn't carry over into the second attempt. The first recipe used frozen apples rather than cooked and pureed, this meant that the sorbet was a vibrant green without the use of food colouring. I also liked how with the original recipe, you just chucked the apples in the freezer, pureed them once they were frozen, and then whacked them in the ice cream maker - none of this cooking and cooling business. But then, despite these things I liked the actual sorbet was the wrong texture so there's no use lamenting. It also went brown if you let it thaw out - eww.

03_11---Green-Apple-Sorbet

Essentially this recipe is much better than my first attempt and I'm just being picky.

If you make this, don't freak out if your apple mixture is super bright green prior to it being frozen in the ice cream machine - it's perfectly normal. I didn't realise this when I was making mine and freaked out about the green monstrosity I was about to create. The mixture lightens up a lot as it freezes, resulting in a pleasing light green. I just used plain old liquid food colouring for mine but those of you with fancier food dyes then I could use those too.

I've only ever seen recipes for green apple sorbet but now I'm starting to to wonder how gala, fuji, pink lady, or even heirloom varieties of apples would go in sorbet. I think I could have a whole blog dedicated to apple sorbet if I felt so inclined - yum.

Green apple sorbet

(adpated from Decadence by Philip Johnson)
makes about 1.5 litres (6 cups)

750g (1.6lbs) granny smith apples, unpeeled, cored, and quartered
juice of 1/2 a lemon
250ml (1 cup) water
375g (1.5 heaped cups) caster sugar
3 teaspoons calvados, optional
1/8 teaspoon liquid green food colouring, optional

Place the apples, lemon juice, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the apples until they are extremely soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once the apples have cooled transfer them to a blender and blend until the mixture becomes a smooth puree. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Stir through the calvados and green food colouring, if using. Refrigerate the apple mixture until cold.

Remove the mixture from the fridge and churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacture's instructions.

Once adequately frozen, transfer the sorbet to a container, cover tightly, and place in the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours.

21 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing! As soon as it gets warmer I will give it a shot! Your pictures are gorgeous! :)

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  2. I really like the green color of your sorbet. For me, it's like spring in a a bowl. Looks so yummy too!

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  3. I love to eat sorbet! Thanks for your Green Apple Sorbet's recipe! The test was okay but not very accurate. I found another recipe of sorbet that I thought people would like to try, its the Frozen Blueberry-Tofu Sorbet, healthy and delicious, try it out at http://www.fourgreensteps.com/community/recipes/desserts-a-goodies-/frozen-blueberry-tofu-sorbet

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  4. your pictures are beautiful, as always.

    a few questions:
    is it necessary to include the apple brandy?
    if food coloring is not used, what color will the sorbet be?

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  5. Your sorbet looks so delicious and refreshing. Beautiful photos too.

    I’d love for your to submit them to Vegolicious, a vegetarian food photo gallery where readers can browse beautiful photos to discover new recipes and wonderful blogs. If you would like to share this recipe with our readers please submit a photo along with a link to this post.

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  6. I'll put in an order for dessert - please bring some of this yummy sorbet next time you're round for dinner!

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  7. Looks green and healthy. I love sorbet more than ice cream.

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  8. Cool site Jen. That Frozen Blueberry-Tofu Sorbet tasted even better than the Green Apple Sorbet!

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  9. Just did this recipe last night, amazing. Its difficult to get sorbets tasting as sharp as this without resorting to the lemon classic.

    Thanks for sharing

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  10. How have I never come across this amazing sorbet flavor? On my shortlist.

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  11. Mmmm I love anything with green apple :)

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  12. Wow. What an interesting flavor. It must be so refreshing! I love almost everything that tastes of apple. But have never heard of it as an ice cream flavor. Will definitely try this one out!

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  13. I love green apples. I'm definitely making this for myself and the kids this weekend. It'll be a nice treat after suffering with 100+ degrees this week.

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  14. I tried making this today and can happily say this is fantastic I'm sat with a bowl as I write this. My son may not get any lol

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  15. I made this recipe and i am disappointed to say that it didn't taste like apple

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  16. AMAZING sorbet!!! being a proffesional sorbet maker (i own a chain shop in london) id say this is realy good amazing texture and sharp. it is realy good however it is much to sweet for a flavour like apple. I have tried a few recipies and this is one of the best but it could improve with less sugar and more acidicness to it to give it that sour tast sorbet has

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  17. I'm gonna try this recipe for a green apple frozen yogurt...thank you for sharing...

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  18. So I've posted this on my Tumblr... and I'm nearing 1000 notes. People apparently love this recipe.
    Thank you for being amazing.
    http://see-ally-run.tumblr.com/post/24774395235/saw-someone-post-this-picture-on-my-dashboard-and

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  19. Hey!
    Posted this recipe on my tumblr after seeing the photo being spread around. Nearing 1000 notes... people are going crazy.
    Thank you for being awesome.
    Trying this next week :)
    http://see-ally-run.tumblr.com/post/24774395235/saw-someone-post-this-picture-on-my-dashboard-and

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  20. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us! I have just finished preparing all of the ingredients (I added everything) and we will see how it turns out tomorrow! Thanks!

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  21. Hi - Just mixed up all the ingredients and I am waiting for them to cool. I included all the optional ingredients, and found Calvados (minature bottle) for $4.

    I will see how it tastes tomorrow - we cannot wait.

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