Two Ingredient Mango Sorbet - Too Good For Words

This sorbet has changed my life.

I'm a big fan of fresh fruit, but sometimes when I taste a fruit-based dessert, I get this disappointed feeling that I would've just preferred to eat the fruit itself. Why take nature's perfectly sweet bounty and sully it with other ingredients? But this sorbet is different. This sorbet changes everything.

I would take this mango sorbet over a mango any day.

It all started a few weeks ago, when T-Hubs requested I make some. At the time, we were standing outside one of our favorite ice cream shops, debating whether it was worth spending over five dollars on a cup of sorbet to share. It's a real treat on a hot summer day, but a little hard to justify the price.

Really? Five dollars? How hard can it be...

As it turns out, not very. In fact, making sorbet is just about the easiest thing ever. No cooking required, ready in twenty minutes, and so inexpensive I just about threw a fit thinking about what a fortune that ice cream place is making.

And you know what? Ours is better. So much better.

I cannot begin to tell you how good it is. First of all, this isn't like the stuff you find in the stores with sugar as the first ingredient, and all kinds of artificial flavor nonsense... this is just pure, unadulterated fruit goodness. Nothing but fresh fruit, plus a little sugar to keep it from turning into an ice cube in the freezer. That's it.

I'm also convinced that most commercially available sorbet is made with loads of extra water so they can get more out of each batch. After making it ourselves, even fancy five-dollar-a-cup sorbet pales in comparison.

With so few ingredients, the fruit really is the star of the show, here. The key to putting this sorbet over-the-top is to pick the best fruit possible. When you think your mangos are ripe, let them sit on the counter for a couple more days so they're really ripe. If you're using other fruit or berries, be sure they're fresh and in season. Oh yeah...

Did I mentioned that this recipe can be made with just about any fruit you want? In just the past few weeks we've made cherry, strawberry, and mango, not to mention our upcoming plans for raspberry (just as soon as the u-pick farm opens up). The only change between flavors is to vary the amount of sugar slightly, depending on the sweetness of the fruit in question.

I've included some tips for variation in the recipe notes at the bottom of the page, but feel free to experiment for yourself to find the right level of sweetness for you. I've also got some instructions for how to make the sorbet with or without an ice cream maker, just so there are no excuses!

(And of course, if you're looking for a more complex flavor, there are plenty of add-in options. Anything from fresh herbs (mint, rosemary, or basil would be nice), to chunks of chocolate, or a splash of liquor, can be added to make things more interesting.)



As if the sorbet wasn't good enough on it's own, T-Hubs has discovered that his favorite way to enjoy it is alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Mixing the mango and vanilla together tastes just like a mango lassi, and other flavors like strawberry turn into the perfect blend of berries and cream.

I don't care who you are, or how hot it is, this summer just got a whole lot better.

What's your favorite flavor of sorbet? Let me know in the comments below!


Two Ingredient Mango Sorbet
Makes about 2 pints -- vegan, gluten-free

About 4 cups fresh mango, pureed (about 4 large mangos)
3/4 - 1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet the fruit is, see recipe notes)
1 cup water

Method
1.   Cut your mango and place the fresh fruit into your blender or food processor. For detailed instructions on how to cube a mango, click here. Puree until smooth.
2.   Heat the sugar and water in a small pot on the stove over low heat. (Or, heat water in the microwave, then stir in sugar until thoroughly dissolved.) Once dissolved, set aside to cool.
3.   Add the simple syrup to the pureed fruit, and blend to combine.
4.   For an ice cream maker: Pour the fruit puree into the ice cream maker and churn for about twenty minutes, or according to manufacturer's instructions.
5.   For no ice cream maker: Pour the fruit puree into a shallow tray or baking dish and place in the freezer. Stir the mixture every 30 minutes for at least two hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and keep chilled until firm.

Recipe Notes & Tips: 
1.   This recipe works well with many kinds of fruit (so far I've tried cherries, strawberries, and mangos, and they are all incredible). For the best results, be sure to choose fruit or berries that are at the peak of ripeness. The amount of sugar needed will vary slightly depending on how sweet the fruit is -- so far I've found that most fruits do well with anywhere from 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar. With extremely ripe mangos or strawberries, I like 3/4, while more tart fruits like cherries or raspberries (or not as ripe strawberries or mangos) will do better with 1 cup. Note that some fruits or berries (such as raspberries), may need to be strained to remove some of the seeds or pulp.
2.   Other flavor variations include adding fresh herbs (which can be chopped and added directly to the sorbet, or steeped in the sugar and water before hand to draw out the flavor), adding chopped chocolate (added directly to the sorbet at the end of churning), or adding a small splash of liquor (add to the pureed fruit before churning). The possibilities are endless!
3.   An ice cream maker makes quick work of churning this sorbet, but isn't necessary if you don't have one (however, I highly recommend you get one -- they're very cheap, and I use mine constantly!). I've included directions to make the sorbet with or without an ice cream machine.
4.   The simple syurp (sugar syrup) in this recipe is easy to make on the stove, but if you're stuck without air conditioning like me, you may want to heat your water in the microwave and then stir in the sugar until dissolved, to prevent heating up the house any more than necessary.