Refreshing and sweet, my cardamom apricot sorbet makes the perfect summer treat!
Apricots appear in late spring and herald in the stone fruit season. We used to live at a house with a 30 year old apricot tree whose fruits colored the ground yellow because we couldn’t eat them fast enough. In our kitchen, apricots go into jams, galette, crumbles, fruit compote, and sorbets. With their beautiful sun-rise-colored skin and sweetly perfumed flesh, apricots make the most delicious desserts. One frozen treat that’s quite popular with our family is a simple yet irresistible cardamom apricot sorbet. Refreshing and sweet with a gentle kick of cardamom, this sorbet is the perfect summer treat!
Tips for Making Apricot Sorbet
- Pick ripe apricots with a deep orange-gold color instead of pale orange or yellow. They should be plump with a touch of softness. Avoid firm apricots and squishy ones. Ripe apricots have a lovely floral fragrance.
- Make the cardamom simple syrup first to infuse cardamom flavor.
- A little bit of cardamom goes a long way.
- Poach the apricot halves in the cardamom syrup until soften.
- Puree and strain the apricot to get a smooth sorbet.
- Once frozen, the sweetness will decrease so add a little more sugar when the liquid mixture tastes just right.
- The sorbet needs at least 6 hours in the freezer to set and for the flavor to full develop. It's even better if you leave it overnight.
Your patience will be rewarded with a delightful cardamom apricot sorbet. It's incredibly refreshing with a sweet tart flavor and gentle note of cardamom. Find in season, ripe, and juicy apricots to make this sorbet before they're gone!
For more frozen dessert inspiration, check these recipes: strawberry and elderflower sorbet, cardamom blood orange sorbet, mango passion fruit granita.
Cardamom Apricot Sorbet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 lb ripe apricots, halved and pitted
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 10 cardamom pods, crushed with the back of a knife
For serving (optional)
- 4 fresh apricots, pitted and sliced
- 2 tbsps toasted pistachios, chopped
Instructions
- Place the water, sugar, and cardamom pods in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from heat and let it steep for 10 minutes to let the cardamom flavor infuse.
- Strain the cardamom simple syrup.
- Place the cardamom syrup and apricots back in the saucepan. Bring everything to a boil then reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering gently. Simmer the apricots just until they begin to turn tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.
- Puree the apricots and the poaching liquid in a food processor until smooth. Strain the mixture with a fine mesh sieve.
- Stir in the lemon juice and chill the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn until frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and let it set in the freezer for 6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, scoop the sorbet into serving. Serve with fresh apricots and pistachios if desired.
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