Raspberry Thyme Sorbet
We had our first glimpse of summer this week in New York. It was a scorcher, and it felt amazing. At least in my opinion. I know most people dread the summer heat in NYC, and I can understand why. You can easily become drenched in sweat within minutes of leaving your apartment, the heat radiates from all angles and when you are completely surrounded by towering buildings the possibility of a cool summer breeze is generally non existent. And then, there are the smells... I won’t get into the details as I am trying to build up your appetite not completely destroy it, but all of you New Yorkers know just what i’m talking about. But after enduring months of wet winter weather, you won’t find me complaining about heat. Nope, you’ll find me cooling off with some uber refreshing sorbet, and heading to the park with friends, a bikini, and some special refreshments!
I've noticed that the blueberry seems to be quite the attention hog when it comes to berries, but just because it gets all of the publicity doesn't mean it’s simply the best. Here are a few reasons to devour some raspberries this summer. Did you know that raspberries are 20% fiber by weight, which is among the highest of any whole food. This means that a mere ½ pound of these little gems will provide you with your daily recommended value of 30g of fiber. Raspberries are also a rich source of vitamin C, manganese, and B Vitamins. The combination of fiber, anti-inflammatory vitamins, and antioxidant compounds such as ellagic acid all contribute to raspberries cancer fighting properties.
The Recipe
This is a wonderful sorbet recipe, and the thyme adds a fresh punch of flavor. May I also suggest freezing this mixture in ice cube trays for a refreshing summer cocktail?! Or, if you don’t have an ice cream machine, these would make delicious popsicles. And, popsicles are all the rage right now, aren't they?
- 2 pints fresh raspberries (2 cups)
- 10 sprigs of thyme, plus about 1 t leaves picked
- ¼ c lemon juice
- 1 c raw organic sugar
- 2 c water
- pinch of salt
Bring 2 c water to a simmer, add sugar and thyme sprigs and mix until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place in fridge or freezer until cool. Once cool, strain the simple syrup to remove the thyme leaves.
Rinse raspberries and place in a blender with 1 t thyme leaves (picked off the stems), lemon juice and the cooled simple syrup that you’ve just made. Blend on high speed for about a minute until the color lightens and a smooth consistency is reached. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any remaining thyme leaves and raspberry seeds. Add a pinch of salt, put mixture in a ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.
Note: You can do this without an ice cream maker but the texture will not be quite as smooth. Freeze mixture in a freezer safe container. To prevent large ice crystals from forming, remove sorbet from freezer and whisk vigorously or puree in a food processor once or twice during the freezing process to attain a smoother texture.