Week 6: Cucumber Basil Lime Sorbet

Cooking with Jane,

We’ve had a couple of really hot humid days this week, so when I saw the two huge cucumbers in the share, I knew I wanted to make something refreshing and light. I present to you cucumber lime basil sorbet! It’s bright, slightly tart, sweet, and a perfect treat in the heat of the day or as a palate cleanser after a heavy meal. The vodka in the recipe is optional, but can help with the texture of the sorbet. If you forgo the vodka, that’s okay! You may end up having a sorbet that is icier and harder – in which case you can chop it up and toss it in a blender/food processor and have a type of granita/crushed ice dessert instead – just as delicious as the sorbet!

This recipe comes from Farm Flavor.

*Since the cucumbers need to be peeled, I didn’t want to put the peels to waste. I did a quick-pickle of them (1/2 cup white vinegar heated on the stove with salt and sugar, and 1/2 cup water and pour over the peels in a heat-proof jar. Allow to sit in the fridge for 24 hours before enjoying), but you could also slice/julienne finely and make a simple salad (with sesame oil, chile, lime, and crushed peanuts). Also no shame in putting them in the compost!

Print

Cucumber Basil Lime Sorbet

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water divided
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 large cucumbers peeled and sliced into 2-inch chunks (I also de-seeded mine)
  • 6 large fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice from about two limes
  • 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
  • 2 tablespoons vodka optional

Instructions

  1. In a small pot, bring 1/2 cup water and sugar to a boil and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove the pot form the stove and allow to cool.
  2. Combine the cucumbers, basil, lime juice, lime zest, vodka and remaining 1/2 cup water in a food processor or blender and blend until it forms a fine puree.
  3. Add the sugar/water (simple syrup) to the cucumber mixture and combine thoroughly.
  4. Pour the sorbet into a freezer-safe bowl or loaf pan. Freeze the sorbet for 20 minutes, or until semifrozen. Pour the sorbet back into the food processor or blender and puree until the ice crystals are very fine. Repeat this step once more and refreeze the sorbet until ready to serve.
  5. To serve, remove sorbet from freezer and let sit for 5 minutes. Scoop into serving cups and garnish with fresh basil leaves. If the sorbet is too hard and won’t soften, place chunks of it into the blender or food processor and pulse to break it up. This creates a shave dice texture and is equally as satisfying as sorbet.