Sorbet-Making Tips

When making sorbet, keep in mind the following tips:

- -- High sugar concentration is the key to creamy sorbets. If the texture feels overly icy, add more sugar: Use 1/2 cup of sugar per cup of fruit (give or take, depending on the fruit).

- -- To decrease sweetness without changing the flavor, add up to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to nonacid fruits (apples, blueberries, peaches). Use less lemon juice with mildly acidic fruits (oranges, pineapples, raspberries).

-- Adding a tablespoon of high-proof alcohol improves the texture of the sorbets and permits a slight reduction in the amount of sugar. Try tasteless vodka or any complementary brandy or liqueur. Because white wine has a lower alcohol content, the amount needed for texture may affect the flavor. Alcohol inhibits freezing and should be added in the last minutes of the freezing process.

- -- Taste the mixture before it is churned and frozen. Alcohol intensifies the taste; freezing subdues the sweetness. If the fruit is too tart, add sugar; if the fruit is very ripe, decrease or omit the sugar.

- -- Artificial sweeteners can be substituted for sugar but they should only be added to mixtures that are cold or have completely chilled. If a recipe calls for heating the liquid to dilute the sugar, omit this step and stir in sweetener until well dissolved.

- -- Sorbets, like most products made in an ice cream maker, will have a softer consistency than store-bought varieties. For hard sorbet, spoon from canister into an airtight container and place in freezer for several hours.