Peach Sorbet Without an Ice Cream Machine

You don't need an ice cream machine for peach sorbet: dice ripe peaches, freeze them, then blend until smooth with lemon juice and a little sugar. Ten minutes of active work, and the rest is waiting time in the freezer – with a result far more velvety than the effort involved would suggest.

By late August, peaches are at their ripest and sweetest, and that's exactly what matters here. A sorbet is almost nothing but fruit, so there's nowhere for a hard, floury peach to hide. Go ahead and buy the really soft ones – the ones you'd otherwise have to eat that very same day.

Ingredients

Serves 4:

• 800g ripe peaches (about 6)
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 60g icing sugar or 3 tbsp mild honey
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 pinch of salt
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Optional: 1 tbsp Prosecco or white wine

Method

1. Wash the peaches, halve them, remove the stones and cut into roughly 2cm cubes. If the fruit is very ripe, you can leave the skin on – it adds colour.
2. Spread the cubes out in a single layer on a tray lined with baking parchment and freeze for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. The single layer matters, or they'll freeze into one solid clump.
3. Squeeze the lemon with the lemon squeezer. The juice isn't just for show: it keeps the colour bright and gives the sweet peach the edge it needs.
4. Put the frozen cubes into the blender with the lemon juice, icing sugar, water and salt. Pulse in short bursts to break them up first, then blend continuously until smooth. Scrape down the sides now and then as you go.
5. Finally, grate over the nutmeg fresh from the nutmeg grinder and blend through only briefly – a pinch is enough, since it's there to support the peach, not cover it up.
6. Serve immediately, or transfer the mixture to a shallow container and leave it to firm up for 30 to 60 minutes.
7. Scoop into balls with the ice cream scoop and serve in chilled glasses.

kjøk tip

For the scoops to come out cleanly, dip the ice cream scoop briefly in warm water and draw it flat across the surface rather than digging in – that gives you a round ball instead of a lump. The sorbet is best served in glasses that have been chilled beforehand; you'll find good pairings for it under Food & Drink. As for care: rinse the lemon squeezer straight after pressing, so the fruit acid doesn't dry on, and wash the ice cream scoop by hand too, right after use, while nothing's frozen onto it yet. The nutmeg grinder should be stored dry and never rinsed out – moisture in the mechanism will make the nutmeg clog it up. If your grinder has an olive wood body, wash it by hand only and rub it with a little food-safe oil now and then.

FAQs

Do I really not need an ice cream machine for sorbet?

No. Since the fruit already goes into the blender frozen, the creamy texture forms right there during blending. All you need is a reasonably powerful machine – a stand blender or a food processor bowl will both do the job.

How do I stop the sorbet turning rock-hard?

The sugar and the tablespoon of Prosecco both keep it soft, since each of them slows down freezing. If it does firm up too much, leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes before you scoop it.

Can I use other fruit?

Yes, the method works with almost any soft fruit: nectarines, raspberries, melon or mango. For very tart fruit, add a little more sugar; for very sweet fruit, add a little more lemon juice.