Citrus Sorbet Light Dessert (Print View)

A tangy, refreshing sorbet blending orange, lemon, and lime for a light, vegan-friendly sweet treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Citrus Base

01 - 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (approximately 2–3 oranges)
02 - 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately 2 lemons)
03 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (approximately 2 limes)

→ Syrup

04 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 3/4 cup water

→ Additions

06 - 1 tablespoon orange zest
07 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest
08 - Pinch of salt
09 - Optional: 2 tablespoons vodka or limoncello

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium while stirring until sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
02 - In a mixing bowl, blend orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, orange zest, lemon zest, and salt. Stir in the cooled syrup.
03 - Add vodka or limoncello to the mixture and mix thoroughly if using.
04 - Refrigerate the combined mixture for at least 1 hour to enhance flavors.
05 - Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn following manufacturer’s instructions, usually 20–25 minutes until thick and frozen.
06 - Transfer sorbet to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours until set.
07 - If no ice cream maker is available, pour mixture into a shallow tray. Freeze for 1 hour, then stir vigorously with a fork every 30 minutes until smooth and frozen.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like frozen sunshine and requires no fancy equipment if you have a fork and patience.
  • The natural tartness wakes up your taste buds without feeling heavy or overly sweet.
  • You can adjust the citrus balance to whatever you have on hand and it still turns out beautifully.
02 -
  • If you skip chilling the base before churning, it takes forever to freeze and can turn grainy instead of smooth.
  • Zest the citrus before juicing them, trying to zest a juiced lemon is a slippery, frustrating mess.
  • Taste the mixture before freezing, cold mutes sweetness so it should taste slightly too sweet at room temperature.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the citrus, it captures the oils without the bitter white pith.
  • If you dont have an ice cream maker, the fork method works fine but requires commitment, set a timer so you dont forget to stir.
  • Serve this straight from the freezer in the height of summer, it softens quickly and tastes best when its almost too cold to scoop.

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