Ingredients
Liquid Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 oz.) water
- 2 cups (16 oz.) freshly squeezed lime juice (about 14 large limes)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
Sweetener
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Make the Simple Syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook for about 3 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves completely and the syrup starts to thicken slightly.
- Cool the Syrup: Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the syrup to cool completely to room temperature. This step is crucial to prevent melting the ice crystals later.
- Combine with Lime: Once cooled, stir the freshly squeezed lime juice and lime zest into the syrup until well combined.
- Freeze the Mixture: Pour the lime mixture into a 9×5 metal baking pan and place it in the freezer. Freeze for about 4 hours, stirring with a fork every 30 minutes during the first 3 hours. This frequent stirring introduces air, helping to create a smooth texture without an ice cream machine.
- Store and Serve: Once firm, cover the sorbet tightly and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. If the sorbet is too hard to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to soften before serving.
Notes
- Stirring the lime sorbet every thirty minutes adds air to the sorbet, making it smoother and easier to scoop.
- If the sorbet is too firm to scoop, allow it to sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes, or until it softens enough to scoop.
- You can use key limes instead of regular limes for a slightly different flavor.
- Increase the lime zest to 2 tablespoons if you prefer a more tart sorbet.
- This recipe works well with an ice cream machine; just follow your machine’s instructions for sorbets and then freeze until ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
