Rhubarb Sorbet

Fresh and fruity rhubarb sorbet, made with vibrant pink rhubarb stalks, orange zest, and fresh ginger.

By
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett has been writing about food and sharing recipes for 15 years. He is the author of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese.
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Updated October 20, 2022
Garrett McCord
Rhubarb Sorbet
Elise Bauer

Guest author Garrett McCord and I created this recipe together, a perfect sorbet for spring! ~Elise

I'm not sure what first drew me to rhubarb. Perhaps, it was the name. Rhubarb. It sounds so strange, intriguing, even whimsical.

But it isn't just the name. That color! From the palest pink to dramatic ruby-red.

raw rhubarb for strawberry rhubarb pie, don't use the leaves, they're toxic!
Elise Bauer

And then there's the flavor of rhubarb—so sour when raw, magically transformed into something floral and fruity when cooked.

This sorbet perfectly captures all that love about rhubarb. Its flavor is touched with a little heat from fresh ginger and a little zing from orange zest which only enhances the pink taste (and I would call the taste pink) of this sorbet .

Rhubarb Sorbet
Elise Bauer

Rhubarb Sorbet

Prep Time 3 hrs
Total Time 3 hrs
Yield 1 quart

Also makes great popsicles! Just pour mixture into popsicle molds and freeze.

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups of chopped fresh rhubarb stalks (4-5 stalks, do not use the poisonous leaves!)
  • 2 1/2 cups of water
  • 1 2/3 cups of white granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of orange zest
  • 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tbsp of corn syrup

Special Equipment

  • Fine mesh sieve

Method

  1. Cook the rhubarb in water with sugar, zest, ginger, salt:

    Put the chopped rhubarb, water, sugar, orange zest, ginger, and salt into a 3 to 4-quart pot. Heat on high heat to bring to a boil.

    Lower the heat to low to simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the rhubarb is falling apart tender.

  2. Purée and press through sieve:

    Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Either use an immersion blender or work in batches with a standing blender to purée the mixture until smooth. Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any of the stringy pulp.

    Stir in the corn syrup.

  3. Chill:

    Cover and refrigerate until totally chilled, several hours or overnight. (Can more quickly chill in the freezer if you check it and stir it every 15 minutes.)

  4. Process in ice cream maker:

    Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

    Note that right out of the ice cream maker the sorbet will have a soft consistency. If you would like it to be firmer, put it in a covered container and freeze it for a few hours.

    Once frozen, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature to soften before serving.

    Alternatively, pour into popsicle molds and freeze for rhubarb popsicles!

    Rhubarb Sorbet
    Elise Bauer