Apricot and rosemary sorbet

Ingredients

• 650 g ripe, fragrant apricots
• 135 g granulated white sugar
• 120 ml spring water
• 25 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 pinch fine salt

Method

1. Prepare the apricots: rinse, halve, and pit the apricots, trimming away any bruised spots. Leave the skins on, as they enhance the color, flavor, and body of the sorbet.
2. Make the syrup: combine the water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat (about 100 °C / 212 °F) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves completely, then hold at a gentle simmer for 1 minute. The syrup should be completely clear with no sugar granules at the bottom.
3. Infuse the rosemary: remove the saucepan from the heat, add the rosemary, cover, and let steep off the heat for 10 minutes until the syrup is distinctly fragrant. Discard the rosemary.
4. Briefly cook the apricots: add the apricots to the infused syrup and simmer over low heat (about 85-90 °C / 185-195 °F) for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The fruit should soften, release its juices, and easily break down under a spatula while keeping a bright orange color without browning.
5. Puree thoroughly: transfer the warm apricots and their syrup to a blender, add the lemon juice and fine salt, then blend on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until completely smooth, glossy, and fluid.
6. Strain for a professional finish: pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing it through with a flexible spatula. The base should be satiny, with no stringy fibers or visible skin fragments.
7. Chill completely: let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at 4 °C (39 °F) for at least 3 hours until thoroughly chilled to the center.
8. Fill the container: pour the chilled base into the designated machine tub, staying below the maximum fill line. Tap the tub gently on the counter to release air bubbles, then smooth the top so it freezes flat.
9. Freeze: cover the tub and place it upright in the freezer at -18 °C (0 °F) for at least 12 hours until frozen solid through the center, with a firm, matte surface that does not give under gentle pressure.
10. Churn in the ice cream maker: place the frozen tub into the machine and run the sorbet program (about 20 to 30 minutes of churning depending on the model). When done, the texture should be fine, pale, dense, and evenly scraped from the sides.
11. Adjust the texture if needed: if the sorbet looks powdery or crumbly, make a small well in the center, add a teaspoon of cold water or apricot juice, and run an extra 1 to 2 minute churn cycle. Stop as soon as the texture becomes smooth and scoopable without melting.
12. Serve: scoop with an ice cream scoop dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Serve immediately in bowls chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes to highlight the crisp apricot flavor and delicate hint of rosemary.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

211.8 kcal

Protein

2.45 g

Carbohydrate

51.22 g

Fat

0.67 g

Fibre

3.44 g

Calcium

10.26 mg

Iron

0.11 mg

Magnesium

2.38 mg