Lemon Sorbet Recipe in a Lemon, Amalfi Style

This easy lemon sorbet recipe is smooth, zingy and full of real lemon flavour. You do not need an ice cream maker, and you can serve it in hollowed lemon shells for a gorgeous Amalfi-style dessert.

Why This Lemon Sorbet Recipe Works

This Amalfi-style lemon sorbet makes the most delicious zingy, tingly sorbet with REAL lemon flavour! It is inspired by sorbetto al limone, the classic Italian lemon sorbet, then served in hollowed lemon shells for an Amalfi Coast-style presentation.

You do not need an ice cream maker to make it smooth and silky, and I'll show you how. I lost one of the pieces to my KitchenAid ice cream machine and while I could just replace it I haven't gotten around to it! So basically I try and develop recipes where you don't need an ice cream maker because I figure not everyone has one.

Video: How To Make Lemon Sorbet

How To Make Smooth Lemon Sorbet Without an Ice Cream Maker

1 - With this lemon sorbet, we first steep the mixture with lots of lemon peel (two lemons' worth!). This gives the sorbet an incredible depth of flavour. Just peel two lemons using a citrus peeler. Tip: you want a citrus peeler that only peels the fragrant zest, not the bitter white pith. This is the one I use.

2 - Then we add 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest before freezing just to give it that final lemony push!

3 - The most important thing when making ice cream or sorbet without an ice cream machine is to inhibit the formation of ice crystals, which can make it icy (icy is great for granita but not sorbet). We use two ingredients to help discourage ice crystals: glucose syrup or corn syrup, plus limoncello, vodka or an egg white. Just a bit will make your sorbet smooth and scoopable!

4 - Make sure to zest the lemons before juicing them as that makes things easier. You can also ream the lemons that you are serving them in and then use that juice. Make sure to strain it to separate the juice from the pulp and seeds.

5 - For ice creams and sorbets you want a sturdy tub that won't crack as freezing makes plastics brittle. I use an ice cream tub like this which is very thick and designed to be used in the freezer.

6 - Always let your homemade sorbets and ice creams soften in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving so that they are easily scoopable. This goes for ones made in the ice cream maker too.

7 - You can also fill the frozen lemons with the sorbet and keep it in the freezer ready to serve.

Ingredients for Lemon Sorbet

Water - use filtered water

Caster or superfine sugar - to sweeten those lemons and give it balance

Lemon zest - We are using strips of lemon zest to infuse and then we remove them. Then we add some finely grated lemon zest.

Glucose syrup or corn syrup - this is to inhibit the ice crystals forming. This can be found in the baking or cake aisle at the supermarket. It really comes in handy when making candy or toffee apples and lasts for ages so it's good to have in your pantry. Tip: wipe the rim of the jar with a wet paper towel after use so that the lid comes off easily the next time! The jar packaging isn't great.

Lemon juice - You can use any sort of lemons for this from Eureka lemons to Meyer lemons. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best for that true lemon flavour. I'm sure you can make it with bottled although I haven't tried it.

Limoncello or 1 egg white - You can use limoncello, vodka or an egg white. I use my homemade Limoncello which is an authentic Italian recipe (and I swear produces the best Limoncello!)

Lemon Sorbet Recipe in a Lemon

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus 30 minutes steeping and overnight freezing

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Makes: 4 lemons

Ingredients Needed

• 1.5 cups/375ml/13flozs water
• 1 cup/220g/7.8 caster or superfine sugar
• Strips of zest from 2 lemons
• 50g/1.7ozs glucose syrup or corn syrup
• 235ml/8.3flozs lemon juice (save lemon halves to serve the sorbet in)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon Limoncello or 1 egg white (optional, see note)

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1a - Place the water and the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. The syrup should be clear. Turn off the heat, place the strips of zest in the syrup and let steep for 30 minutes. Stir in the glucose syrup, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cool completely, stir in the limoncello or egg white, mixing well, then place in a container to freeze overnight or for 6-8 hours.

Step 1b Ice Cream Maker - If using an ice cream maker, follow the manufacturer's directions to churn the sorbet and then freeze. You won't need to do step 2, so go to step 3.

Step 2 - The next day sit the container on the bench for 10 minutes. Break up the lemon ice with a dinner knife or fork and place in a blender or Thermomix. Blend until smooth. Thermomix: 30 seconds, speed #9. Place the container in the freezer until needed.

Step 3 - When you want to serve the lemon sorbet, place the container in the fridge for 20 minutes. The texture of the sorbet will then be scoopable.

Step 4 - To fill the lemons, take one lemon and cut across 2/3 down so that you have a deeper cup and then a lid. Using a citrus reamer carefully remove pulp and juice making sure not to break the skin on the base and the lid. If you need this to sit flat, just slice a little off the bottom of the base making sure not to cut into the lemon flesh. Scoop sorbet into the lemon halves and freeze. When ready to serve place lemon lid on top along with lemon leaves or a mint leaf.

Substitution Notes

You can substitute limes or grapefruit for the lemons.

Glucose syrup helps to inhibit ice crystals. You can also use corn syrup instead.

You can replace the limoncello with vodka or use 1 egg white. This is especially useful for a smooth, creamy texture without the use of an ice cream maker. Sorbets made using an ice cream maker don't need this.

Personal Note

It's definitely getting to be ice cream or sorbet weather now that things are finally warming up. On the day that I made this I had a really busy day filming and writing and I had said yes to too many things and that meant that I was stretched thin. I didn't have enough time to even have a drink so I made myself a matcha latte to help my flagging energy levels even though it was 5pm and late for a caffeinated drink.

Then I reached over to switch the camera off and accidentally bumped my matcha latte.

Whoosh! Green latte all over my dress and the kitchen island. Just brilliant.

Gathering the last of my patience and will I cleaned it up and then Mr NQN and I took the dogs for a walk. It was dinner time by the time we got back and it was then that I received a text. An ice cream media send out was just delivered. I went to the front door and looked down. There was nothing there. I looked closer at the text and it said that it was delivered to number 6 of our street, not our house number.

I wondered whether I should just leave the ice cream there but then I thought about the carbon footprint of an additional delivery so I decided to go and pick it up.

"I just want dinner and a lie down," I said to Mr NQN while pulling on my coat.

I reached the house and their door was wide open. I called out and a man popped his head around the corner.

"Hi! Did you just get a delivery of ice cream?" I asked.

"Haha yeah I did!" the man answered.

"Did you eat it?" I asked laughing.

It turned out that he hadn't eaten it and he put it all back together for me which was nice of him. The ice cream was way too melted to eat it but I was happy just with this lemon sorbet!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you have an ice cream maker? What is your favourite flavour of sorbet? And would you have gone to collect the ice cream and if it were delivered to you, would you have eaten it?