Blackberry Sorbet Recipe

Make simple syrup

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture comes just to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 15 minutes).

Cook blackberries (if frozen or to intensify flavor)

Place 3 cups blackberries in a medium saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the cooled simple syrup. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until berries break down and release juices, about 6–8 minutes. If using very ripe fresh berries, you can skip cooking and proceed to pureeing.

Puree and strain

Transfer the cooked or fresh blackberries to a blender and puree until smooth. Press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl using the back of a spoon to remove seeds. You should get approximately 2 to 2 1/2 cups of seedless puree. Taste and, if too tart, stir in up to 2 more tablespoons of cooled simple syrup to balance.

Combine juices and vodka

Whisk together 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and 1/4 cup fresh orange juice in a large bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup Tito's vodka. Add 1/2 cup of the cooled simple syrup (reserve the rest) and whisk until evenly combined.

Assemble sorbet base

Fold the strained blackberry puree into the citrus-vodka mixture until fully combined. Taste and adjust sweetness with additional simple syrup if needed; sorbet base should taste slightly sweeter than you’d like as freezing mutes sweetness. Add 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1 tablespoon lemon zest, stir to incorporate.

Chill the combined sorbet base in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until thoroughly cold (this improves texture and churn performance).

If you have an ice cream maker: Pour the chilled mixture into your machine and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency, usually 20–30 minutes. Transfer sorbet to a shallow airtight container and freeze 2–4 hours to firm up before serving.

If you do not have an ice cream maker: Pour the chilled mixture into a shallow metal or glass pan and place in the freezer. After 30–45 minutes, scrape the mixture vigorously with a fork to break up ice crystals. Repeat scraping every 30 minutes for 3–4 cycles until sorbet is uniformly frozen and smooth (about 3–4 hours total).

When ready to serve, let sorbet sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly for easy scooping. Garnish with mint leaves and an additional sprinkle of lemon zest if desired. Serve in chilled bowls or coupe glasses. Yield: about 6 servings.