Peach sorbet. In this heat it's kind of all I want to eat.
I love nectarines. I love plums. I love cherries. But my love for them pales in comparison to my love of peaches. All those other fruits are lovely, but this peach thing – well, it’s serious.
I don’t know what it is about them exactly. Lots of fruit have the sweet and tart thing going for them. Lots of fruit are juicy and sweet and, when they’re ripe, have a perfect firm but yielding texture. There’s just something about peaches – that flavor that makes a peach a peach – that gets me every time.
Now, usually if I get on a peach kick, I’m all about hand pies, or coffee cake, or muffins. But it’s been so hot in DC that the last thing I want to do is bake. So when I had a bunch of peaches on my hands, I decided that it was time for some peach sorbet.
Yes, even in the heat wave, you can handle a peach sorbet. There’s a little bit of stove action required, but it takes all of 15 minutes. And at the end of it, you have a lovely sorbet that really brings out the essence of the fruit – and is perfect for this heat. In fact, some summer nights when I don’t feel like eating, this is what I have for dinner. Just don’t tell my mother.
Peach Sorbet
Adapted from Chowhound
Makes 1 quart
Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs ripe peaches
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Place peaches in boiling water and let simmer for one to two minutes, to loosen the skins. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and transfer to an ice water bath. Gently peel the skins off peaches. Pit and roughly chop peaches. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Add peaches and simmer for 5 minutes, until the fruit begins to soften (if your fruit is unripe simmer 2-3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice and zest.
Puree mixture in a food processor until smooth and transfer to a clean bowl. Let chill completely in a refrigerator (1-2 hours) before freezing in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I TOTALLY feel the same way about peaches. They are the BEST.
Seriously – they’re the best!
I love peaches, too, and they are super cheap at the farmers’ markets if you ask for the bruised peaches! Great looking recipe!
That sorbet looks so smooth, I have to try making some in my ice cream maker. I’m wondering how apricots would be instead of peaches…
Jenn