Summer is rapidly coming to an end and if you live in Colorado, you know that means it’s peach season! Many people I’m sure don’t know how delicious Colorado peaches are, but trust me when I say they can rival the best peaches you’ve had. When I can find some very ripe peaches, I like to make this Fresh Peach Sorbet which is about as easy as a frozen dessert can get.
There are some tricks to this sorbet to make it truly special, but you can make it even without an ice cream maker so don’t let that stop you!
If you can find some really delicious fresh peaches in the next few weeks, this should peach sorbet be on your to-make list!
What is sorbet?
Sorbet gets confused a lot with sherbert, but the two are very different things. Sorbet generally is made with just fruit, in this case peach puree, while sherbert will include dairy.
Depending on the recipe, sorbet can literally just be the fruit puree or it can include a few minimal extra ingredients like sugar, lemon juice, and salt.
How to pick ripe peaches for this sorbet
You need very ripe peaches for this dessert recipe. If you are picking peaches, you should look for ones that give easily to a little pressure, but do not completely go to mush. Those are over-ripe.
If they aren’t ripe enough, you can stick peaches in a paper bag for a day or two and they will quickly ripen and you can use them in this recipe.
- Need another great summer peach recipe? Try this summer peach salad!
Can you use frozen peaches?
You can absolutely use frozen peaches for this sorbet recipe.Thaw them and then proceed with making the peach puree.
I would not use canned peaches for this sorbet though because canned peaches generally have a lot of extra sweetener and are cooked so they will have a very different texture that won’t work as well for sorbets.
How to prepare the peaches
I like to peel the peaches for this sorbet although there’s an argument that you don’t need to since you blend and strain it anyway. I think it makes the final product really clean and gives it a nice bright color without any specks.
And peeling peaches is pretty straightforward. I do it by cutting a small X in each peach and then dunking them in simmering water for 30 seconds. After that transfer them to an ice bath to cool.
After the peaches cool, the skin will literally slide off the peaches and you’ll be left with as much fruit as possible.
Making the peach puree
This doesn’t get much easier. Once you have your peaches peeled, slice up the peaches (I like to weigh out two pounds before peeling them). Then add the peaches to a food processor or good blender and puree them until smooth.
You can add the simple syrup mixture, lemon juice, and salt to the mixture as it processes or you can stir those ingredients in later.
I do think it’s important to strain the peach puree with a mesh strainer which will remove any little bits in the puree and will leave you with a completely beautiful, bright orange, peach puree.
- Turn peach puree into a drink with these Peach Margaritas!
Churning the sorbet with an ice cream maker
If you have an ice cream maker it’s 100% the easiest way to make this sorbet. Chill the machine according to the instructions and then get to churning! It’ll probably take 20-30 minutes to get it churned where it is soft-serve consistency.
I always like to have a little bowl of the peach sorbet right out of the churner, but then you can scoop the rest into a freezer-safe container for long-term freezing.
Making the peach sorbet without an ice cream churner
This is definitely doable. Your sorbet won’t be quite as smooth as with an ice cream maker, but that’s okay.
Transfer the sorbet mixture to a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer. As it freezes, like every 30 minutes, remove the sorbet and stir it really well to help keep it smooth. This will prevent any large ice crystals from forming and make for a smoother sorbet.
Don’t expect a perfectly smooth sorbet this way, but it’ll still be good.
Storage and serving
Once you have this sorbet made, it’ll keep just fine in the freezer for a month or two, but will never last that long. When I make a batch it’s gone within a day or two.
The trick to serving this sorbet is to let it thaw a bit before serving so it isn’t completely frozen solid and is back to that soft-serve consistency. If I can, I like to take it out of the freezer a good 20-30 minutes before scooping it to take the chill off the sorbet.
Fresh Peach Sorbet
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ripe peaches, peeled
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the simple syrup by stirring together water and sugar over low heat until the sugar is melted. Then remove and let cool.
- Peel peaches by cutting a X at the base of each peach. Dunk it in boiling water for 30 seconds and then transfer all the peaches to an ice bath. The skin will easily peel off each peach.
- Chop up the peaches, removing the pits, and place peach flesh in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add simple syrup, lemon juice, and salt.
- Strain the peach puree through a mesh strainer to remove any chunks (optional, but makes for a really smooth sorbet).
- Transfer the puree to an ice cream maker and churn for 20-30 minutes until it reaches soft-serve consistency. Serve imemdiately or transfer to a freezer-safe dish for longer storage.
