Strawberry Balsamic Sorbet

Submitted by PaulaG

"A good quality balsamic vinegar is the key to this refreshing sorbet. It can be served either as a dessert or between courses. This recipe is from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook. The cooling time is not reflected in the cooking or preparation time."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 4
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 cups strawberries, hulled and halved, plus
• 4 strawberries, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dark honey

directions

1. In a small non-reactive saucepan, bring the vinegar to a simmer over medium-low heat.
2. Cook until it is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cool.
4. Place the halved strawberries in a blender or food processor.
5. Process until very smooth.
6. Pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl, pressing firmly on the solids with a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to extract all the juice.
7. Discard the pulp; add the balsamic reduction and honey to the puree and stir to combine.
8. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
9. Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
10. Store in the freezer until ready to serve or for up to 2 days.
11. Spoon into individual bowls and garnish with the chopped strawberries.

Reviews

[SilverOpera]

I don't know how this got good reviews - the balsamic vinegar in this recipe nearly burned a hole through my throat. I used a good quality vinegar and followed the directions exactly. I think a couple of tablespoons of the vinegar is all you would need. I tried to fix it by adding an extra four cups of strawberries. That wasn't enough to chill it out, so I added a big bag of frozen strawberries, and it still tasted bad. A bunch of honey, then sugar when I ran out, and it might almost be edible, but I wasted a lot of expensive ingredients on this. Very disappointing, as I usually like strawberries and balsamic vinegar together.

 

[justcallmetoni]

Considering I was eating the puree before placing it in the sorbet machine, I had more than an inkling that this would be delicious. Have to say, I was a little nervous about the vinegar but it blended in so nicely and brightened the sweetness of strawberries. (The combo is one of my favorite low-fat desserts so that should not have surprised me.) I didn't have dark honey so I used 2 teaspoons of regular. I did the straining and ended up discarding about a tablespoon clump. Next time, I'll probably just skip that step. Yummy. Thanks Paula.

 

[Chef Kate]

I knew I would love this just from reading it. I could hardly stop myself from eating it once the puree was combined with the balsamico. But I did--and the frozen result is superb--not too sweet, with a wonderful richness from the balsamico. And a small scoop or two of this added to some of Ellie's banana Daquirimakes a truly elegant cocktail.

 

[Sharon123]

Delicious! I made with a few changes: I did not put the puree through a sieve. I did not use a ice cream makeer. I froze till slushy, then processed in a food processor, then froze again. Did I say delicious?! Thanks Paula!