Mixed berry sorbet

This mixed berry sorbet is a delicious mix of berry flavors in a cool and colorful scoop. It's a tasty mix that's the perfect treat for a warm day (and a great way to use up some berries!)

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The Scottish climate may not be for everyone, but it does result in great growing conditions for many types of berry. While I have always been a berry fan, I don't think I realized quite how lucky I was to have such flavorful ones locally until I moved elsewhere.

As a child, we went strawberry picking at a local farm and foraged blackberries when they were in season too. So we often had large hauls which my mum partly froze, partly used straight away for desserts and snacking, and partly made into jam (blackberry jam and strawberry raspberry jam are still favorites).

Maybe it's that Scottish climate again, but making frozen treats was never something we made with them. However, these days making homemade sorbets with fruits while they are in season is definitely high on our family's favorite ways to use them.

What defines a sorbet?

The distinction between some frozen treats can be a little tricky, but sorbet is generally a little easier. One of the main things that defines sorbet is it does not contain dairy. (Some do occasionally, but it's not generally the case).

It's essentially a sweetened, flavored frozen water. The flavoring is often fruit or juice, but you can have other flavorings. But the vast majority are dairy free and vegan.

This is true of some other frozen treats, too, but they have differences. Granitas like 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.

While I love a good ice cream too, a few things to me make sorbet pretty special:

• Sorbets are all about the fruit (or other flavor) and you can really taste it.
• The process to make them is pretty simple.
• You aren't left with a bunch of egg whites. Granted, that does give an excuse to make things like strawberry meringue cookies or lemon pavlova, but I for one often don't want to turn on the oven when it's ice cream weather.

What fruit goes in mixed berry sorbet?

Here I use a combination of blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. These are generally the fruits used in the Italian "frutti di bosco" (forest fruits) sorbet or gelato. I find it a nice blend of darker and lighter berries, along with a bit of sweeter and more tart ones

However since this is, after all, a mixed fruit sorbet, you can vary what you put in there a bit to taste or based on what you have. Cherry would also work well in there, as would red and/or blackcurrant. I use roughly equal parts of each berry, but this, too, you can vary depending on what you have and prefer.

I'd suggest making sure you keep a mix of sweeter and more tart fruits as this gives a nice balance. If mainly sweet or mainly tart, you may want to adjust the sugar a little. This recipe is generally on the lower sugar side, so keep that in mind as you consider adjusting.

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 berries 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 berries to remove seeds, then combine with the rest of the syrup and lemon juice. Chill the mixture well.
• Churn in ice cream maker then transfer to a container to freeze completely.

Straining the puree is the part 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. The seeds can feel a bit gritty if left in, so it's well worth straining.

Do you need an ice cream maker?

An ice cream maker definitely makes things easier, but you can still make this without one using the method similar to granitas. You instead freeze and mix 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.

This mixed berry sorbet is packed with as much bright berry flavor as it's beautiful color. It just sweet enough, refreshing and light. A delicious way to cool down on a hot day.

Try these other frozen treats:

• Ginger ice cream - definitely a big favorite in our house, it has a fantastic flavor and rich creamy texture.
• Coffee granita - perfect for the coffee fans, it's packed with flavor and gently sweet
• Blackberry sorbet - another deliciously bright, richly berry-flavored sorbet.
• Chai ice cream - creamy and packed with the classic warm spice flavors.
• Plus get more summer recipes and dessert recipes in the archives.

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