Nothing makes me sadder than hearing the song, “See You in September.” No matter when I hear it, it always brings me right back to the end of my childhood summers and the dreaded (and wildly anticipated) first day of school. These days, the mom in me embraces back-to-school season, counting down with glee to the return of bedtimes, quiet and those precious hours in the middle of the day where no one’s shouting, “Mommy, look!” See You in September is now my theme song.
As glad as I am to get back to our school routine, I’m equally thrilled by the bounty of late summer peaches. Juicy and ripe, they’re like summer’s last, tasty gift. Pie, cobbler and crisps are excellent ways to put perfect peaches to work but I love turning my peaches in to a refreshing sorbet.
How to Make Sorbet
Sorbet is made by combining a simple syrup and a fruit puree, in this case peaches. Unlike ice cream, sorbet has no dairy in it, which makes it ridiculously simple to make. I like to add a splash of alcohol- a tablespoon or two – not just for added flavor, but it keeps sorbet from becoming too hard in the freezer. Most sorbets, the really good ones anyway, always have a little tartness added to help bring out the flavor of the fruit and balance the sweetness of the simple syrup. Lemon or lime juice are the usual suspects but a little leftover lemongrass made its way into this batch and it’s my new favorite thing.
Lemongrass is a culinary chameleon of sorts. It has a bright, lemon-y smell but when added to food it has a floral, almost spicy taste. (Not caliente spicy, spice spicy.) It’s available at Asian supermarkets and many typical grocery stores. Look for it in the produce aisle. (Check back later in the week for more on lemongrass and what to do with it.)
No Ice Cream Maker? No Problem!
Don’t have an ice cream maker? No problem! Don’t add the Peach Schnapps to the simple syrup. (Don’t worry, we’ll add it in later.) Pour the blended sorbet into a shallow baking dish and place it in the freezer uncovered. Use a fork to stir it every hour, making sure to scrape the frozen bits around the edges into the center of the dish. Repeat this until the sorbet has the consistency of slushee/slurpee. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container. Stir in the Schnapps and freeze until firm.
I challenge you to try this sorbet and not want to name your next child Peach Lemongrass. Can you tell I love this recipe? Let me know how much you love it, too!
TIPS:
Stir the Peach Schnapps into the simple syrup while it’s still hot. The heat will cause some of the alcohol to evaporate.
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to press down on the lemongrass while you’re straining it from the simple syrup. The lemongrass will absorb a good bit of the syrup and you want to make sure you get as much as possible to add to your sorbet.
TOOLS:
Small Pot
Wooden Spoon (to stir simple syrup)
Strainer/Sieve
Blender or Food Processor
Ice Cream Maker
Airtight Container (to hold sorbet)
The tools section may contain affiliate links to products we know and love.
TECHNIQUES:
Peeling Peaches
Making Simple Syrup
Peach Lemongrass Sorbet
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup chopped lemongrass
- 2 tablespoons Peach Schnapps
- 2 pounds fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Combine water, sugar and lemongrass in a small pot and bring to a boil, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add Peach Schnapps. Let sit until syrup is cooled to room temperature then strain into a measuring cup.
- Place peaches in blender or food processor. Add strained simple syrup and blend/process until smooth.
- Pour mixture into ice cream maker and churn until thickened slightly (It will have the consistency of soft serve ice cream.) then transfer the sorbet to an airtight container. Freeze the sorbet until firm, about 6 hours or overnight.
- Makes about a quart.
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