Meyer Lemon Sorbet

I use the one from SNO since it has an actual compressor unlike the CuisineArt ones which are just a stirrer that depends on the coldness of the bowl to freeze any contents and does no cooling itself. The one from Sno come with a this cylinder shaped container and is cooled by the machine itself just like with the expensive machines. You can also get extra container it prepare one batch while the first one is freezing. I can get my batches to the hard stage and not just the soft stage of limited models like those from CuisineArt that are just transferring heat from the mixture to the bowl and stirring. I alos do not have to have bowls in the freezer but just place in in the refrigerator while preparing a batch to cool it and start up the machine and go since the machine will continue to cool it further unlike those other machines which depend 100% upon the bowl and can not remove any heat. It can be 80 degrees in the house and I can still make nearly (needs to be just soft enough to transfer) solid sorbets and ice creams and not mushy ones.

I’m probably going to add some basil to the simple syrup and then strain it. It works well from Lemonade so it should work for lemon sorbets as well just use much less water.

I’ve experimented with a similar recipe for Meyer Lemon Sorbet. I added some home-made limoncello and the sorbet stays soft no matter how hard my frost-free freezer tries to turn it into a brick. The first batch I made was too sour, but I upped the water and boiled the lemon zest for just a minute and the results were fantastic.

I’m in germany, I’ve never heard of meyer lemons, so I used “regular” lemons. I don’t even know if meyer lemons are available here at all. I only had 2 so I substituted orange juice for the rest of the cup of juice. I’d say a bit more than 1/3 of a cup, so it might have been nearly half and half. I also cooked the zest in the syrup in the hope of it getting more flavour and also of the zest getting softer. Next time I will probably strain it out as it’s kind of bitter and chewy.
I don’t have an ice cream maker so I froze it as per your alternative directions and wow it’s good! My 6 y.o. son even liked it (we had to try every time we stirred, you see) and he doesn’t like sour things at all.
It’s blended now and in a sealed container in my freezer, but I keep sneaking into the kitchen and getting “just a spoon full”. I think next time I need to double the recipe ;-)

I also like to strain my sorbet to remove the zest, but I have also found that adding a little mint to the syrup about half way through the simmer adds a great flavor to the finshed sorbet. Quite refreshing and a great snack!

Your sorbet reminds me of my own concoction. I adapted a recipe from the now defunct Velvet Turtle restaurant chain here in Southern California. Called Lemon Velvet, it was a favorite on their menu. I’ve changed it some, and I use Meyer lemon juice since I have a prolific tree. I package up the juice and some zest in freezer packages during the Meyer-lemon-off-season so we can have this any time of year. This has the most piquant taste; it’s also very easy to make since everything is already at chilled temperature, so it can be mixed and put immediately into the ice cream freezer.

Lemon Velvet Ice Cream
1 3/4 cups sugar
lemon zest from 2-3 lemons
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups fat free half-and-half
1 dash salt

Combine the zest and juice in a blender to puree until the zest is in very small pices. Combine remaining ingredients, stir to combine well, then freeze according to ice cream maker’s instructions. Scoop into a container and freeze for a couple of hours before serving.

Note: the original recipe called for 2 c half and half, 1 12-oz can evaporated milk and 1 1/2 c whole milk. I also reduced the amount of zest, though it depends on the size of your lemons. I use Trader Joe’s fat-free half and half – it seems to give a nice softness to the ice cream (makes it easier to scoop out once it’s frozen solid too).

My first thought when I read this:
Put a scoop or two in a glass, add some tequila or vodka to taste (or whatever suits your needs), and enjoy.

One helpful addition I’ve picked up from Alton Brown is the addition of a little bit of vodka to sorbets and ices. If you add maybe a tablespoon worth before you put it in the churn, the sorbet will remain much more scoopable, and I’ve never noticed any alcoholic flavor from that small an amount.

It may not be a factor with this particular one, as the acid may do the same thing. I have found it to be perfect for watermelon or cucumber sorbets.

Jeez, Elise. I just cleaned the ice cream maker from the butter pecan recipe…

I made a lemon sorbet last year with buttermilk. Yes – buttermilk. Had a great tang and creamy texture, but still more sorbet than ice cream.

Meyer lemons are so foreign to us on the east coast, and I’ve passed on a lot of recipes calling for them as they’re supposed to be somewhat unique from your everyday grocery store lemons. Any suggestions on reputable mail-order sources out there on the “left” coast?