Easy lemon sorbet to make at home without an ice cream maker. Unlike granita, sorbet requires egg white. You could make it without, but the flavor and texture will be different. Today I propose the classic sorbet recipe, made with syrup, lemon juice, and pasteurized egg white, which I bought in a carton, but it can easily be pasteurized at home by cooking in a double boiler while whipping and monitoring the temperature with a kitchen thermometer. Of course, using carton egg whites will make the process simpler but still very straightforward. Without an ice cream maker, the sorbet should be prepared in advance to quickly reach the right temperature, ideally a couple of days before needed.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Summer
Ingredients for Lemon Sorbet
- 1 1/4 cups lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 1/8 cups water
- 1 egg white (about 1.2 oz)
Tools to Prepare Lemon Sorbet Without an Ice Cream Maker
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Citrus Juicer
- 1 Container
- 1 Electric Whisk
- 1 Immersion Blender
Steps to Prepare Lemon Sorbet
In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water. Bring to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved, then turn off and allow to cool.
Prepare the lemon juice. You will need to squeeze 3-4 lemons or more, depending on the type of lemons.
Combine the filtered lemon juice with the chilled syrup and place in the freezer in a container with a lid.
Whip the pasteurized egg white with an electric whisk until firm. If the egg is fresh, to pasteurize the egg white, simply whip it in a bowl placed in hot water, set on the stove at a low flame, after bringing it almost to a boil. Keep the egg white at least 10 minutes at a temperature of 140-149°F while whipping and mixing to maintain an even temperature.
Then add the egg white to the well-chilled mixture, and mix with a spatula. Place in the freezer for at least 12-24 hours. Stir after 5-6 hours, and repeat at least once more after a few hours.
When the sorbet is frozen, stir with a spoon and blend with an immersion blender, to achieve the consistency of classic sorbet.
Serve the sorbet in a glass straight from the freezer, or in the shells of the lemons used to prepare it, well emptied and frozen.
Alternatively, it can be prepared without egg white, following the same method, stirring the mixture 2-3 times and then blending everything with an immersion blender.
