Summer Lemon Sorbet is the perfect gluten-free, vegan pick-me-up when it is unbearably hot, you are tired and just need a quiet sit down. It is also perfect when you need a light dessert for dinner. I first made lemon sorbet when I was about 14 years old. We had a huge old chest freezer and I was making it in an old ice-cream tub. I was so pleased at the way it came out, I was a total convert. It was so much better than the syrupy thick, gummy shop bought sorbet. It was light, refreshing and tasted of lemon (not lemon scented kitchen cleaner). I was hooked!

Summer Lemon Sorbet is very easy but it takes time. Do this when you have a quiet afternoon and a good book/ lots of admin to do…

Summer Lemon Sorbet is perfect when you need a light dessert for dinner. Summer Lemon Sorbet goes so well with Roasted Rhubarb with Crumble Topping. Or if you need a revitalising pick-me-up on a sweltering day. You can also use it to refresh you palette in-between courses of a fancy dinner party.

Allergy Information – Summer Lemon Sorbet

Summer Lemon Sorbet is gluten-free and vegan as well as… low FODMAP*, celery free, coconut free, garlic free, lupin free, mustard free, nightshade free, onion free, peanut free, sesame free, soya free, tree nut free.

*For low FODMAP, remember that lemon juice is low FODMAP in services of 125 grams. One serving of Summer Lemon Sorbet is low FODMAP

Top Tips – Summer Lemon Sorbet

If you have an ice-cream maker you can use this. The texture will be smoother with an ice-cream maker. I used unrefined sugar which gives an almost golden, caramel colour. If colour is important to you use refined white sugar.

It is important to taste the sorbet when adding the juice to get the flavour you like. I like it super tangy, zingy and tart and I used all the lemon juice.

Recipe – Summer Lemon Sorbet

Difficulty easy
Serves 4-6
Preparation time 15 minutes (excluding freezing time ~ 4 hours)
Cooking time 0 hours

Ingredients – Summer Lemon Sorbet

250 millilitres water
250 grams sugar
10 unwaxed lemons

Method – Summer Lemon Sorbet

1. Finely zest five of the lemons. Juice all the lemons
2. In a small pan heat the water, sugar and lemon zest until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for three minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool
3. Add the lemon juice (25 millilitres at a time) to the sugar mixture, mix thoroughly and taste. The flavour should be intense (frozen food tastes slightly duller). Keep adding lemon juice until you get a zingy version of the flavour you like
4. Pour the mixture into a freezer box and freeze for 90 minutes and mix with a whisk or a fork to break up and incorporate the ice crystals. Return to the freezer
5. Mix the sorbet every 45 minutes to an hour for four hours to break up the ice crystals. Stop mixing when the sorbet is firm but you can still scoop it. Store in the freezer for up to one month
6. To serve remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving and serve on its own, with mint or with rhubarb.