Strawberry season is upon us! The Farmer’s Market has row upon row of beautiful red strawberries, and given that we’re in a stretch of hot weather, a frozen dessert seemed really very advisable. I had some awesome sherbet last week from the ice cream shop in my neighbourhood, and inspired by that, I decided strawberry sherbet was my next enterprise.

Now, I always thought it was sherbert and turns out I’m not alone. If you Google sherbet versus sherbert, the number of results tell you a few other folks were confused as well. These pages have informed me that while sherbet is correct, sherbert is a common mispronunciation. Who knew?

But, ‘r’ debate aside, give sherbet a try. It’s a lovely cross between ice cream and sorbet (less rich than ice cream, but creamier than sorbet, if you catch my drift) and there is no cooking required – simply let the strawberries sit in a bowl with some sweetener and flavourings, and then mix with one can of coconut milk. Then, puree until smooth, and mix in your ice cream maker.

The sherbet is this gorgeous shade of pink, one of those colours that is just a marvellous natural wonder. The lemon juice and lemon zest add a bit of zing, the vanilla adds depth and a kind of creamsicle flavour, and the whiskey, while optional, does add a little je ne sais quois. If you wanted to really go nuts, you could even stir in a spoonful or two of strawberry jam while the mix is in your ice cream maker for a kind of ripple effect.

The possibilities are endless, actually, You could try with raspberries, blueberries, juicy peaches, or maybe even a mix of fruits. You might wish to substitute lime juice and zest for the lemon – and perhaps even orange zest.

Summer Strawberry Sherbet with Lemon Zest

• Author: Emily Joldersma, R.H.N.
• Recipe Notes: vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free

Ingredients:

• 3 cups strawberries (sliced in half, or left whole if small)
• 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon your favourite whisky/scotch (optional)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from an organic lemon)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 can organic full-fat coconut milk

Instructions:

1. Wash and measure out strawberries, placing into a large non-metal/non-reactive bowl.
2. Add vanilla, whisky, lemon zest, lemon juice, cane sugar, and maple syrup and toss to combine.
3. Let sit for about 1 hour, to allow flavours to mix and strawberries to macerate.
4. Pour strawberry mix into a blender and add coconut milk, pureeing until smooth.
5. Let the mix sit in the fridge until nice and cool, and then pour into your ice cream maker and prepare according to the instructions for your machine.
6. Freeze and serve.

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