Blackberry sorbet

This blackberry sorbet has a wonderfully vibrant color and flavor that's bursting with sweet berries, with a touch of citrus brightness. It's easy to make and a deliciously tasty frozen treat.

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I honestly love pretty much all fruits, but blackberries have a special place in my heart since I've grown up picking them in the wild. We'd pick them when I was a kid and make blackberry jam, crumbles and more. And my kids are always keen to visit family in the UK during bramble (aka wild blackberry) season as they, too, appreciate how good they are.

Even if you aren't quite lucky enough to pick your own, this sorbet is a wonderful treat to enjoy this lovely berry's flavors. It has an amazing deep color and the taste is just as special.

What makes sorbet a sorbet?

There are lots of different frozen treats around, from ice cream to sorbet, gelato to frozen custard. Some of those are a little nuanced, but sorbet is relatively easy to define.

Unlike many frozen treats, sorbet does not contain dairy. It's essentially a sweetened, flavored frozen water. The flavoring is often fruit or juice, but you can have other flavorings. But pretty much all are dairy free and vegan.

While you get other dairy-free frozen treats, they do have differences. Granitas like coffee granita and lemon granita generally have a coarser texture. Then there's shaved ice, where a flavored syrup is poured over finely shaven ice, often with other toppings too. Sorbets are typically churned so they are smoother in texture.

One of the great things about sorbets is they are relatively easy to make - there's no custard-making and sometimes no cooking at all. Instead of

Ingredients in blackberry sorbet

All you need to make this is this short list of everyday, simple ingredients:

• Blackberries - be sure to use ripe berries, ideally nicely plump and juicy, as they have a better flavor. You can use either fresh or frozen berries, as you have (and particularly frozen if you can't get good fresh ones). If using frozen, I'd suggest defrosting them first to make them easier to strain. 
• Sugar - while blackberries are naturally sweet, all flavors are a little "dulled" when frozen. A sweetener like sugar helps bring out the flavor. While you can scale back the sugar to a point, the sugar also helps give a nice scoopable texture so if you reduce too much, your sorbet can get too firm and icy.
• Water - while blackberries have a good amount of natural liquid, you still want a bit of water to help get the right overall texture. 
• Lime juice - a little extra acidity in the form of citrus helps to brighten the flavor and make it "pop" that bit more. You can use lemon, but lime pairs really well with blackberry which is why I suggest that here.

I don't typically do so, but you can also add a pinch of salt to help the flavor. As long as you only use a little, it won't actually make it taste salty.

Steps to make this sorbet

This comes together in just a few steps:

• Place the sugar and water in a pan and warm so that the sugar dissolves.
• Blend up the blackberries in a blender or food processor to make a puree, adding a little of the sugar syrup if needed to help it blend.
• Strain the blackberries to remove seeds, then combine with the rest of the syrup and lime juice. Chill the mixture well.
• Churn in ice cream maker then transfer to a container to freeze completely.

Straining the blackberry puree is probably the bit that takes the most hands-on work, and while it might be tempting to skip, it does make a big difference to the end texture. Blackberry seeds can feel be a bit "gritty" so are worth removing.

If you prefer it not to be too sweet, you can mix in part of the sugar syrup first before tasting. Blackberry sweetness can vary so you may need to adjust accordingly. It should taste slightly on the sweeter side since, as mentioned, it will dull when frozen. So see if it needs a little more sweetness, or a touch more acidity from the citrus.

Do you need an ice cream maker?

It is possible to make this without an ice cream maker, using the method similar to granitas of freezing and mixing at regular intervals to break up the ice crystals. This can, however, leave it a little coarse. You can improve the texture by breaking it up with a food processor as it's getting close to being fully frozen. Then freeze a little longer to firm up.

However, if you have an ice cream maker, it's definitely easier and less to keep track off. You simply churn until it gets to a soft serve texture, then transfer to a container and freeze until completely frozen. The churn time will depend on your machine but typically takes around 20 minutes. Then, just a little more patience as it firms up in the freezer.

The end result is absolutely worth the wait. While the color can vary depending on your berries, it will range from a plum-like to a deep purple, as mine did here. But as long as you had nicely ripe berries, it will be a great flavor either way.

This blackberry sorbet is as delicious as it is pretty. It is sweet, smooth and bursting with blackberry flavor. So whether you forage or find them in store, be sure to make this wonderful sorbet soon to enjoy whatever the season.

Try these other tasty frozen treats:

• Ginger ice cream - with ginger infused in the base and chunks of crystalized ginger mixed through. One of our all-time favorites.
• Raspberry sorbet - another deliciously bright, fruity sorbet with a wonderful flavor too.
• Chai ice cream - creamy and packed with the classic warm spice flavors.
• Plus get more summer recipes and dessert recipes in the archives.

I use this Cuisinart ice cream maker which works well (affiliate link).

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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