Blueberry Ginger Sorbet Recipe

This blueberry sorbet is all about fresh berries at their peak. It's silky smooth with a bit of sweet crunch from blueberry seeds.

By Max Falkowitz
Updated September 14, 2020
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Photograph: Max Falkowitz

Most of the classic American blueberry desserts—pie, coffee cake, muffins, and the like—are all about the dark, baked side of blueberries. You know, with butter and cinnamon and vanilla and caramelization from hot roasting in the oven. But it's ice cream season now, and a grossly hot one at that (seriously, I just got back from a week in Southeast Asia, and that was a cakewalk by comparison). So right now I don't have much interest in cooking anything, let alone blueberries that taste so good raw.

Enter blueberry sorbet, a silky smooth scoop that's all about fresh berries at their peak, with the sweet crunch of blueberry seeds. As for the ginger, okay, I may be missing Southeast Asian food a bit. But it adds a clean, slightly spicy bite for depth, and it jives with the lemon juice to restore the berries' brightness beneath all the cold and extra sugar.

Recipe Details

Blueberry Ginger Sorbet Recipe

Active 40 mins
Total 0 mins
Makes 3 1/2 cups
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 4 cups blueberries, washed (about 1 1/4 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Purée blueberries and ginger in a blender or food processor until smooth. 4 cups whole bluebrries should yield 3 cups of purée. Add sugar and blend for 30 seconds. Add lemon and salt, blend to incorporate, and adjust to taste.

  2. Strain purée and transfer to refrigerator; chill for 2 to 3 hours until very cold. Churn sorbet in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to freezer to firm up for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Special equipment

blender or food processor, ice cream maker

Notes

Blueberry seeds are finicky, and even careful pouring through a high quality strainer can leave a few errant crunchy bits in your purée. But consider them a textural blessing; little pieces of skin and seeds are the chocolate chips of the berry world. You'll be happy to have them there.

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