ah, the elusive and (sometimes prohibitively) expensive cherry. whether popped into the mouth fresh or stewed, to be poured over ice cream, it is a special summer treat not to be taken lightly. i had found an exceptional deal on a 3 lb box of cherries and, not wanting one cherry to go to waste, i found a way to up use 2 lbs within hours of returning home with them. if i were to pay full price however, i could not fathom spending 15-20 bucks on cherries to make 2 pints of sorbet. oh, wait, yes i could. that’s how good this is. and it’s so very easy.
this recipe comes from a book called the perfect scoop by david lebovitz. as if his sedaris-like humor wasn’t enough, the man’s got skills. pastry skills AND frozen confection skills. mon dieu!
if you don’t already have an ice cream maker, go out and get yourself one. i’m not big on extra gadgets and the like, but homemade ice cream just cannot be beat. if you have a kitchenaid mixer, i highly recommend the ice cream maker attachment. i just store mine in the freezer in the garage. it’s comforting to know that i can make a batch of ice cream or sorbet at a moment’s notice. you know, in case there’s was some sort of national emergency that only i could help with because i had planned ahead.
fresh cherry sorbet (makes 1 quart)
adapted from david lebovitz
2 pounds fresh cherries-i used bings
1 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp pure almond extract or kirsh (similar to a cherry liqueur, but not sweet)
stem and pit cherries. place in a non-reactive saucepan with water, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat. simmer for about 10-15 minutes until cherries are softened. remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature. add extract or kirsch (resist the temptation to add more than the 1/8 teaspoon–less is more here).
place mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. allow to cool in refrigerator for at least 8-10 hours, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.
the cosmic cowgirl 
That looks just perfect for this nice, hot June we’re having! I’ve got to get myself an ice cream maker.
exactly. you really need to treat yourself to an ice cream maker–you’re worth it!
So is this “3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar” in addition to the 1 cup of water?
So it’s 1 cup of water and 3/4 cup of water with the granulated sugar added?
Thanks for the help.
the correct measurements are: 1 cup of water
3/4 cup granulated sugar plus 2 TBSP granulated sugar
which sounds redundant, so is always written “3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp fill-in-the-blank ingredient”.
the sugar is not separated or mixed with anything, it is just 2 TBSP more than 3/4 cup sugar. make sense?
good luck!
Thanks!
hey! thanks for sharing! we live in eastern washington and just scored ourselves 25 pounds of cherries (we got a mix of Vans & Rainers). We whipped up a batch of sorbet per your instructions and it’s so delicious!!! thank you!
randa-
lucky you! we also have more cherries in the house-i find myself hoarding them when i see them on sale for 99c per pound!
so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this sorbet using Michigan black cherries. It was delicious. So rich and smooth. You really only need a single scoop per sitting since it was so rich. I will definitely use this recipe again.
i have to agree, this recipe is special–too bad it isn’t my own! glad you enjoyed.
Glad to have found this–just picked cherries yesterday at our local growing area (Green Bluff near Spokane, WA). I’m not big on most fruit-flavored ice creams but have to believe that making your own with fruit less than 24 hours off the tree is a whole new taste sensation. Can’t wait to try it!
@BarbChamberlain
so glad, barb! i’m about to make another batch myself.