Orange Sherbet

One of the standout foods I ate in Italy was mandarin oranges from the corner grocery store. Hands down the best oranges I have ever eaten. It makes me wonder why the only available mandarin oranges I've seen are in a can. So the other day when I saw a carton of mandarin oranges for sale in Whole Foods, I had to get them. They were pretty juicy and sweet, like the ones from Italy. There were only a few cartons of the oranges for sale; that was the only time I saw any.

I came across this recipe for orange sherbet using satsuma oranges. Satsuma oranges may or may not be the same thing as mandarin oranges. All I'm going on is internet research. But the author of the recipe also recommended navel oranges or tangerines.

Sherbet contains more juice than cream (as opposed to ice cream, where cream wins). The sherbet was a nice forecast of the spring and summer months to come. My husband did not like the zest - too tangy - and I think the recipe would work fine without it.

Orange Sherbet
adapted from Scoop Adventures

1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice (zest the fruits before juicing them)
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Zest of 3 small or 2 large fruits
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 3/4 cup orange juice, sugar, and salt. Heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and pour into a medium bowl. Add zest. Stir in remaining orange juice, milk, and cream. Whisk to combine.

Cover bowl and place sherbet base in refrigerator to fully chill. Once chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place plastic or parchment over sherbet (to prevent ice crystals) and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.