No-Churn Frozen Lemon Sorbet

Ingredients

• 2 cup granulated sugar (Massage with the lemon zest before adding liquid to extract the lemon oils.)
• 6 lemons lemon zest (Finely zest the lemons; avoid the bitter white pith.)
• 0.5 % of total mixture mass sorbet stabilizer (Use approximately 0.5% of the combined mixture's mass. The estimated batch weight is about 1,090 g before freezing.)
• 2 cup water (Boiling water.)
• 0.75 cup lemon juice (Freshly squeezed; strain out seeds before adding if needed.)

Steps

1. 1

   Finely zest 6 lemons directly into a large heatproof bowl containing the sugar. Avoid removing the white pith, which can make the sorbet bitter.

2. 2

   Massage the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers for about 1–2 minutes, until the sugar feels slightly damp and strongly lemon-scented. Let the mixture stand for several minutes so the lemon oils can infuse the sugar.

3. 3

   Measure the total mass of the sugar, zest, water, and lemon juice if you want an exact stabilizer quantity. Calculate 0.5% of that mass; for this batch, use approximately 5.4 g sorbet stabilizer.

4. 4

   Add the sorbet stabilizer to the lemon-scented sugar and whisk thoroughly so it is evenly dispersed and does not form lumps.

5. 5

   Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Carefully pour the boiling water into the lemon-sugar mixture and whisk until the sugar and stabilizer are completely dissolved.

6. 6

   Add the lemon juice and whisk until evenly combined. The mixture should be clear to lightly cloudy and intensely lemon-scented.

7. 7

   Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a shallow, freezer-safe container to remove all of the lemon zest. Cool briefly if the mixture is still very hot, then cover the container.

8. 8

   Place the container in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, remove it and whisk vigorously, scraping the freezing mixture from the sides and bottom and breaking up any ice crystals. Return it to the freezer after each whisking.

9. 9

   Continue freezing and whisking every 30 minutes until the sorbet is substantially frozen and has a smooth, stringy texture, typically about 3–4 hours depending on the container and freezer.

10. 10

    Once fully frozen, let the sorbet stand at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping. Serve immediately in chilled bowls or cones.

Notes

A shallow container freezes more quickly and makes whisking easier. Keep the sorbet covered in the freezer; allow it to soften briefly before serving. The stabilizer amount is calculated by mass rather than volume, so weighing the mixture gives the most accurate result.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• frozen dessert
• sorbet
• no-churn
• lemon
• egg-free
• dairy-free
• gluten-free