In Season: Strawberries!

Strawberry sorbet, strawberry ice cream, strawberry vinaigrette, strawberry jam, and strawberries in the freezer.

That's what's on tap this week at our house after my son and I were perhaps a little over zealous in picking 16 quarts of strawberries this week! And that was nothing. I saw trunks of cars loaded up with probably 30-50 quarts. I mean, I like strawberries, but that's a little nutty. I wonder if some people re-sell them? Or maybe they just make A LOT of jam?

Anyway, our 16 quarts will be keeping me busy this week. So far I've made two batches of strawberry sorbet and I've frozen two trays of strawberries for making sorbet and/or smoothies and/or jam later on.

The strawberry sorbet is one I've been making for a few years now and was shocked to find that I haven't yet shared the recipe on my blog! I found a post from last year promising to come back and post it, but I never did. Then I remembered that I was not able to get a good photo of it and that's why it never made it to the blog. But this time.......we've got photos, so it's time to share this recipe.

This recipe is based on a master sorbet recipe from Cook's Illustrated. I took their basic technique and created a delicious strawberry-lime sorbet that tastes like a yummy strawberry daiquiri. It's so refreshing.....really a perfect summer treat. And boy has it felt like summer here lately - hot and humid! (But thankfully it's cooled off today.)

Strawberry-Lime Sorbet

I replaced the water in their recipe with lime and added some lime zest. I love strawberry sorbet without lime, but the lime gives it a nice extra zing and I have decided is a must. The vodka in the recipe keeps the sorbet from turning into a block of ice - it keeps the sorbet a bit soft and helps it retain a pleasing, almost creamy texture. Sometimes I find that the vodka makes it too soft and sometimes I find that it doesn't make it quiet soft enough and I have not been able to figure out if it's the amount I'm using or the type of vodka or what! I do know, however, that adding vodka is something that I now do to ALL sorbets to achieve a nice texture. Even if it's a little too soft, I prefer that to scraping my sorbet out of the container and eating ice chips.

Lots more strawberry recipes to come. It's been a busy week - so much for that relaxing summer vacation - but the next 2 days or so will be nice and quiet, so I should have time to whip up a few recipes. I don't really have a choice with a fridge full of luscious berries!