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Strawberry Sorbet

By Mark Huxsoll

Published on February 21, 2022

Time

30 minutes, plus 12 hours chilling and freezing

Yield

Serves 12 (Makes 1½ quarts)

Strawberry Sorbet

Ingredients

2½ pounds (1134 grams) strawberries, hulled and quartered1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar 1⁄2 cup light corn syrup 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon table salt

Before You Begin

Use the freshest strawberries you can find, and try to buy smaller strawberries for the best flavor. After hulling the strawberries, you should have 2 pounds of fruit. Weighing the prepped amount is important, as the ratio of fruit to sugar is crucial to the success of the recipe. If using a canister-style ice cream maker, be sure to freeze the empty canister for at least 24 hours and preferably two days before churning the sorbet. For self-refrigerating machines, prechill the canister by running the machine for 5 to 10 minutes before pouring in the sorbet mixture. The sorbet is best eaten within a week, but it can be frozen for up to a month.

Instructions

  1. Process all ingredients in blender until very smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer strawberry mixture to large bowl; cover with plastic wrap; and refrigerate until mixture registers 40 degrees or below, at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
  2. Place 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan in freezer. Transfer strawberry mixture to ice cream maker. Churn until mixture has consistency of soft-serve ice cream, 15 to 25 minutes.
  3. Using rubber spatula, transfer sorbet to chilled loaf pan, pressing firmly to remove any air pockets. Press plastic flush against surface of sorbet and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours. Serve. (If too firm to scoop, leave on counter for 5 to 10 minutes to soften.)
Strawberry Sorbet
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Kendra Smith.

Strawberry Sorbet

Save

Time

30 minutes, plus 12 hours chilling and freezing

Yield

Serves 12 (Makes 1½ quarts)

Ingredients

2½ pounds (1134 grams) strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar
1⁄2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon table salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2½ pounds (1134 grams) strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar
1⁄2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon table salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2½ pounds (1134 grams) strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar
1⁄2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon table salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

UPDATE: This recipe has been slightly reformulated to be more failproof since its initial publication. The revision you see here was published in October of 2023. The trick to getting this frozen treat right was finding the perfect balance of fruit and sugar. The ratio of 2 pounds hulled and quartered fresh strawberries to 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup corn syrup produced sorbet that was smooth and silky but held its shape when scooped and didn’t melt too quickly. Using a liquid (or invert) sugar—corn syrup, a pantry staple—gave the sorbet more body and made for a creamier texture than using all granulated sugar did. Corn syrup also has about one-third the sweetness of granulated sugar by volume, which helped with the texture without making the sorbet too sweet to eat.

Before You Begin

Use the freshest strawberries you can find, and try to buy smaller strawberries for the best flavor. After hulling the strawberries, you should have 2 pounds of fruit. Weighing the prepped amount is important, as the ratio of fruit to sugar is crucial to the success of the recipe. If using a canister-style ice cream maker, be sure to freeze the empty canister for at least 24 hours and preferably two days before churning the sorbet. For self-refrigerating machines, prechill the canister by running the machine for 5 to 10 minutes before pouring in the sorbet mixture. The sorbet is best eaten within a week, but it can be frozen for up to a month.

Instructions

  1. Process all ingredients in blender until very smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer strawberry mixture to large bowl; cover with plastic wrap; and refrigerate until mixture registers 40 degrees or below, at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
  2. Place 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan in freezer. Transfer strawberry mixture to ice cream maker. Churn until mixture has consistency of soft-serve ice cream, 15 to 25 minutes.
  3. Using rubber spatula, transfer sorbet to chilled loaf pan, pressing firmly to remove any air pockets. Press plastic flush against surface of sorbet and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours. Serve. (If too firm to scoop, leave on counter for 5 to 10 minutes to soften.)

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