do you need sugar in sorbet

Sorbet in a Nutshell

Sorbet is usually made with fruit and is almost always dairy- and fat-free, but the strictest definition is simply a syrup of sugar and water thats churned in an ice cream machine. Thats it: You could make a sorbet with nothing but plain water and sugar.

“In ice cream, a combination of fat, protein, and sugar all influences ice creams texture, but in sorbet sugar is the big fish.”

Sugar doesnt just sweeten sorbet—its also responsible for sorbets structure. In ice cream, a combination of fat, protein, and sugar all influences ice creams texture, but in sorbet sugar is the big fish.

When you dissolve sugar in water you get a syrup with a lower freezing point than water alone, and the sweeter a syrup is (i.e. the higher the concentration of sugar), the lower the freezing point becomes. As water starts to freeze in a syrup, the unfrozen water becomes, in effect, a more concentrated syrup. This process continues until you have a bunch of small ice crystals in a sea of syrup so concentrated that itll never really freeze.

The Master Ratio

Four cups fruit purée to one cup sugar. Thats really all you need to know.

Okay, lets back up a bit.

If you dont know the exact sugar content of your fruit, the best thing you can do is play it safe. A sugar concentration between 20% to 30% will generally produce a scoopable, creamy sorbet.* Add less and your sorbet is too icy to scoop; add more and it may never freeze. But within that window you have some wiggle room, especially with high-pectin or -fiber fruit like berries and stone fruit, which add stability and richness to the sorbet.

*Of course there are exceptions to everything, so depending on the ice cream machine and other ingredients like stabilizers and type of fruit, these numbers may vary.

I start most of my sorbet bases at a sugar concentration of about 20%, then add the fruits natural sugar on top of that. At most you tick up a few percentage points, but nothing to bring you out of the sorbet safe zone.

Two pounds of fruit, depending on the type, produces about a quart of sorbet. If you trim and purée that fruit, then pass it through a strainer to get rid of excess pulp and seeds, youll wind up with about four cups of liquid. Add a cup of sugar to that purée (seven ounces by weight) and you wind up with a syrup thats 22% sugar, not counting the sugar already in the fruit.

“four cups of fruit to one cup of sugar makes a great sorbet that tastes like nothing but its namesake fruit: because it is nothing but its namesake fruit”

But the ratio works: from strawberries to plums to even some thin juices like clementines, four cups of fruit to one cup of sugar makes a great sorbet that tastes like nothing but its namesake fruit: because it is nothing but its namesake fruit.

Ive used this ratio for all kinds of berries and stone fruit as well as pulpy fruit like mangoes and bananas—anything that has some viscosity and body once its puréed. Since these fruits dont all weigh the same I actually prefer to go by volume—four cups of any thickened fruit purée will likely take well to a cup of sugar. For peaches, that may mean three pounds of fruit instead of two.

But dont confuse a master ratio with a master recipe—as youll see in the recipes linked here, this is a ratio that may need adjusting. Since every fruit is different, every sorbet may need more or less sugar (less for super-sweet mangoes, for instance). Thicker fruits may need to be watered down while thin juices need bulking up with thickeners. Youll also have to add acid (lemon or lime juice are best) and salt to taste. This ratio is simply a starting point; use your own taste as your ultimate guide.

The Trick to Making the Perfect Sorbet – Kitchen Conundrums with Thomas Joseph

FAQ

Does sorbet need sugar?

What is the secret to good sorbet?

Why is my homemade sorbet so hard?

Does sorbet have added sugar?

Do sorbets need a lot of sugar?

Since every fruit is different, every sorbet may need more or less sugar (less for super-sweet mangoes, for instance). Thicker fruits may need to be watered down while thin juices need bulking up with thickeners. You’ll also have to add acid (lemon or lime juice are best) and salt to taste.

What are the ways to avoid eating sugar?

In order to avoid eating sugar you must: cut back on sugary drinks, avoid sugary desserts, avoid sauces with added sugar, eat full-fat foods, eat whole foods, be careful with “healthy” processed snack foods, limit sugary breakfast foods, consider eating more protein, check for sugar in canned foods, read labels, switch to natural zero-calorie sweeteners, limit items with high sugar content in the house, get enough sleep.

Can you add sugar to sorbet?

If not, incorporate additional sugar or simple syrup, lest you end up with just a colorful chunk of ice. Glucose syrup, corn syrup, or invert sugar can improve the texture of the final sorbet, and also help to keep it from freezing solid. In these syrups, sucrose has been broken down into glucose and fructose.

Can you use granulated sugar in sorbet base?

Sorbet base needs to be cold when you churn it; ideally, between 38°F and 40°F. Using a hot liquid will delay the process, and it’s easier to use plain granulated sugar. Sugar can be blended in right with the fruit to help it dissolve, and if you need to add more to reach the right level of sweetness, it’s easy to stir more in.