Lemon Sorbet
Sorbetto al limone — a sugar syrup steeped with lemon zest, sharpened with fresh juice, then churned until it's smooth, bright and almost fizzy on the tongue.
About this dish
Sorbetto predates ice cream in Italy by centuries, descended from sherbet-style ices Sicily inherited through trade with the Arab world, where fruit syrups were already being packed in snow from Etna. Lemon stayed the standard because its acidity is what keeps a sorbetto tasting clean rather than simply sweet and cold.
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Lactose-free
Ingredients
- 500mlWater
- 200gCaster sugar
- 2tspLemon zest
- 180mlLemon juice
Instructions
Warm the water with the sugar and lemon zest until the sugar fully dissolves.
5 minTip: The zest needs heat to give up its oil — steep it in the warm syrup rather than adding it raw to the cold base.
Remove from the heat, strain out the zest, and stir in the lemon juice.
5 minTip: Add the juice off the heat: boiling it mutes the fresh, sharp top note that makes this taste of lemon and not just sugar.
Chill the mixture completely before churning.
30 minTip: A warm base churns into ice crystals instead of a smooth sorbet — cold mixture in means fine, even crystals out.
Churn in an ice cream maker until thick and scoopable, then freeze to firm up.
240 minTip: No machine? Freeze it in a shallow tray and whisk vigorously every 30 minutes for 3–4 hours — the same principle, just done by hand.