This simple plum sorbet recipe is a great way to use overripe plums and makes a delightful dessert that goes equally well at an elegant dinner party as it does with a backyard barbecue.
If you, or a neighbor, has a plum tree you likely hit a point in the summer when the plums ripen faster than you can eat them.
Enter this Plum Sorbet recipe. It is a delightful way to use up those sweet, mushy over ripe plums.
Sorbet versus Ice Cream
What is the difference between ice cream and sorbet?
Ice Cream uses dairy as a base.
Sorbet is usually made from fruit puree with no dairy or eggs.
Sorbet is vegan and extremely low in fat.
Both have a lot of sugar. So I wouldn't label one as healthier, that depends on your particular dietary needs.
Ingredients for Plum Sorbet
All you need is a few simple ingredients:
- ripe plums, the riper the better
- sugar (or sugar substitute, but I have not tried it personally)
- honey, this enhances the taste of the plums as well as sweetening the sorbet
- salt, this enhances the sorbet and helps the texture, don't skip
- lemon juice, balances the sweetness of the other ingredients and helps the texture
Do you need an ice cream maker for sorbet?
If you have one, use it! If you don't you can stir it by hand in the freezer every 30 minutes to break up the mixture so it doesn't become a fruity ice cube.
But even if it does over freeze, you can use a blender or food processor to make it slushy again.
Tips for Plum Sorbet
Adjust the sugar to your taste and the sweetness of the fruit. The sweeter the fruit the less sugar you need.
You could skip the 25 minute resting time in the blender, but I do not advise it.
The juices will be drawn out from the plums and the sugar will dissolve completely. If you skip it and go straight to mix and freeze the sugar might not melt and the result will be a tad gritty.
Making it within a few hours of serving is optimal as homemade sorbet tends to get icy if left in the freezer too long.
More Frozen Desserts from #OurFamilyTable
Enjoy some refreshing frozen treats to cool of this summer:
Chill Out with Frozen Desserts
- Cannoli Ice Cream with Pistachios and Chocolate from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Fresh Watermelon Slush from Palatable Pastime
- Frozen S'mores from Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
- Homemade Fudgesicle from Art of Natural Living
- Mango Float (Frozen) from Karen's Kitchen Stories
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds plums (pitted and quartered)
- ยพ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender add plums, ยฝ cup sugar, and honey. Taste and add additional sugar (or honey) if desired.
- Let sit for about 25 minutes to macerate before proceeding.
- Add lemon juice blend until smooth.
- If you have an ice cream maker, follow the manufacturer's directions. Otherwise keep reading.
- Transfer the mixture to a freezer safe container and place in freezer for 2-3 hours before serving, stirring every 30 minutes. The stirring is necessary to prevent it from becoming one large fruity ice cube.
- Serve when it reaches your desired balance of frozenness and scoop-ability. If it gets too hard, place it on the counter to soften slightly then put in the blender or food processor a little at a time to blend it.
Sound fabulous? Share it!
Sue
Is it 2 pounds before pitted or after pitted?
Audrey
It doesn't really matter since you want to adjust the sugar and honey based on the natural sweetness of the plums. The lemon and the salt are there to balance the sweetness and can be adjusted as well.
Charr
Our plum sorbet not as dark red as yours in pic. More peachy-colored but it was so delish!! Thank you for such an e-z layout of recipe!
Audrey
It's all about the color of the plums themselves. I'm glad you enjoyed the sorbet.