Published July 1, 1995.
Forget about gelatin, egg whites, or corn syrup. The key to smooth, silky sorbets is plenty of sugar and a bit of alcohol.
Homemade sorbets often taste just fine but tend to be overly icy.
Our goal was simple. Restaurant sorbets are invariably creamy and silky. They literally melt in your mouth, almost like ice cream. We wanted to figure out why.
After much trial and error, we found that a high sugar concentration is the secret to creamy sorbets. Sugar controls the texture. By using 1/2 cup of sugar per cup of fruit (give or take a few tablespoons, depending on the fruit), we were able to achieve the desired result: smooth, creamy texture without cloying sweetness. We also found that adding a tablespoon of high-proof alcohol improves the texture of the sorbets and permits a slight reduction in the amount of sugar. Tasteless vodka is our first choice.
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