Honeydew and mint, cantaloupe and lime, refreshing melon sorbets. Perfect for summer.
Please welcome Garrett McCord, who came by the other day to make these melon sorbets. So good! Refreshing on a hot summer day. ~Elise
Melons are one of those rare ingredients that are practically perfect as is. While they do take well to being tarted up a bit (maybe a light dusting of salt, few lashings of lemon juice, or some chopped mint), they certainly don’t need to be overdressed.
No, with melons like cantaloupe and honeydew you want to preserve and highlight their sweet, musky flavors.
This recipe does little more than simply purée and churn these summer fruits into refreshing sorbets bursting with melon flavor.
The cantaloupe sorbet is highlighted with citrus, and the honeydew sorbet is engaged with a simple syrup steeped with fresh mint.
Inexpensive and easy to create, these sorbets are delightful on their own or served with fresh blackberries, and they’re a perfect palate cleansing course for a summer dinner party.
Melon Sorbet Recipe
- Prep time: 50 minutes
- Chilling time: 3 hours
- Yield: Each recipe makes approximately 1 quart.
Muskmelon, Canary melon, or any other type of melon can be used in these recipes. Watermelons may work too, but I haven’t tested it with these recipes.
Ingredients
Cantaloupe Sorbet
- 5 cups of diced cantaloupe (about 2 1/2 – 3 pounds)
- 2/3 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice
- Pinch of salt
Honeydew Sorbet
- 5 cups of diced honeydew (about 2 1/2 – 3 pounds)
- 1/2 cup of mint leaves, well packed
- 2/3 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Method
1 Prep the melons: Cut the melons open and scoop out the strings and seeds and discard them. Carefully cut off the rind and discard that as well. Cut up each melon and one at a time, purée in a blender or food processor until smooth and soupy. Set each puréed melon aside in a separate bowl.
2 Make simple syrup: Make a simple syrup by placing the sugar, water, and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat until the sugar has melted and the mixture has come to boil.
Remove from heat. Add the mint (if using) and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain out the lemon zest (and mint if using).
3 Stir together the simple syrup, citrus juice, corn syrup, salt, and the puréed melon. Chill, covered with plastic wrap. Chill for several hours or overnight.
4 Process in an ice cream machine via the manufacturer’s instructions. The sorbet will have a soft texture right out of the ice cream maker. If you would like a firmer consistency, transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in a freezer for an hour or two. Once frozen, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature to soften before serving.
Links:
How to make ice cream without an ice cream maker – useful tips from David Lebovitz
