By Michele Koskinen
Growing different varieties of basil has been fun, and using it has been an adventure.
Lime basil can be used in drinks, pies, sorbets, with chicken and in salads. Search for lime basil recipes and up pops interesting recipes to try.
Today's recipe take us to summer and a cool refreshing treat.
Summer Time Lime Basil Sorbet Recipe
What would summer be without something cold and refreshing? And, if you have a nice supply of fresh basil -- or even better some fresh lime basil leaves -- don’t you want a cool recipe to use them with?
How about lime basil sorbet or frozen pops? And, what if you could alter the recipe to fit the kitchen gadgets you already had? Of course, this recipe could just be the best ammunition to convince yourself you need an ice cream maker, blender or new finely-meshed sieve.
Let’s get started.
The ingredients…
- 2 cups of fresh lime basil leaves (you can use sweet basil leaves too), gently packed or a nice-sized, wrapped bundle with stems
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 cup sugar – you might want to increase or decrease to taste but changing the quantity may impact how your sorbet will freeze
- 3 ¼ water
The choices for making the juice…
Method 1 – Blending
If you would like your lime basil sorbet to have a pretty green color, blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Drain off the water and quickly plunge the basil into cold water to stop the cooking process. Remove the leaves from the cold bath and they’re ready to be turned into a cool, refreshing treat.
Put all of the ingredients, including the 3 ¼ cups of water, into a blender on high speed for about 60 seconds or until smooth. Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed strainer to remove the unblended bits of basil leaves and stems.
Method 2 – Steeping
If you don’t have a blender or if your strainer may not catch the little blended pieces, you can go old school. Put the sugar and water into a pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, throw in the lime basil bundle and remove pan from the heat. Let steep for around 15 minutes (longer if you want a stronger basil flavor). Strain. Add the lime juice once the mixture cools. Don’t forget the lime juice or your sorbet won’t be as tasty.
Freezing
Method 1 – The easiest way to create a nice, creamy sorbet is to use an ice cream maker. Process until the mixture looks like a firm slushy. Scoop the semi-frozen mixture into a freezer-safe container and freeze until it can be served using an ice-cream scoop.
Method 2 – If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can still create a true sorbet texture. Place the mixture into an air-tight container in the freezer. When it is frozen to a semi-solid state, mash it with a fork and return to the freezer. Once frozen, use a blender or food processor to ‘cream’ up the sorbet. Can be refrozen until served.
Method 3 – Maybe you don’t have an ice cream maker and method 2 just sounds like too much of a nuisance…why not make frozen juice pops? If you already have a set of molds, just pour the lime basil mixture into them, freeze and enjoy.
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| Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr |
Lime Basil Sorbet
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup) By JOANNE WEIR July 2009
A traditional salt and ice electric freezer works best for this sorbet, as opposed to a tabletop freezer, which won't freeze the mixture firmly enough. Use sweet Italian or lemon basil or lime basil.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh lime juice, divided (about 15 limes)
1/2 cup light- colored corn syrup
3/4 cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1 tablespoon grated lime rind
How to Make It
Combine sugar, 1 cup juice, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 2 minutes or until sugar melts, stirring constantly. Stir in basil. Cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into a bowl. Add remaining 1 cup juice, 2 cups water, and 1 tablespoon rind. Cover and chill. Strain mixture through a fine sieve; discard solids. Pour mixture into a freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon mixture into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Garnish with finely grated rind, if desired. Finely grated lime rind (optional)
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