Tangerine Sorbet

You can use any kind of tangerine that’s available for this sorbet. Minneola tangelos make excellent sorbet as they are full of luscious juice, and that juice has a tangy edge, which I like. For best yield, juice fruits that are at room temperature and roll them on the counter firmly with your hand to break open the juice sacs inside before you slice them in half. I don’t strain out the pulp but if there are any seeds, you can either remove them by hand, or strain them out. I’m often asked about the difference between sorbet and sherbet. Sorbet has no dairy in it whereas sherbet often has milk, egg whites, or even buttermilk added. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, I’ve included a link after the recipe to a post about making ice cream and sorbet without a machine. Because citrus is mostly water, the sorbet will freeze quite hard after being stored in the freezer. I added a pour of Cointreau to the sorbet mix and a bit of corn syrup (both are optional), but you can follow some of my Tips for Making Homemade Ice Cream Softer, or remove it from the freeze five minutes or so before serving, so it’s at the right temperature for scooping and serving.

4 cups (950ml) freshly squeezed tangerine juice, (about 10 to 14 citrus fruits, depending on size),
1 cup (200g) or 3/4 cup sugar (150g) and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup sugar
zest of one or two tangerines
optional: 2 teaspoons orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier

Mix 1 cup (250ml) of the juice with the sugar, or sugar and corn syrup, and heat – stirring occasionally – until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Remove from heat and pour the mixture back into the tangerine juice. Add the zest and the orange liqueur (if using). Chill the mixture thoroughly, at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Freeze the tangerine sorbet mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.