Lemon Sherbet
This recipe for lemon sherbet manages to be simultaneously rich, creamy, zingy, and light, all while taking less than 15 minutes to prepare.
By Yankee Magazine|Aug 04 2022|
Easy Lemon Sherbet
Photo Credit: Amy TraversoThe word sherbet comes from the Arabic sharab or sharbat, a cold, sweetened drink usually made with fruit juice. Over time, the cold fruit juices were frozen into fruit desserts. Sherbets probably reached their peak of popularity in this country from the 1950s to the 1970s when Howard Johnson’s orange sherbet was its signature dessert. Today, sorbets, made with only fruit and sugar, are more popular, whereas sherbets, which contain a small amount of milk or cream, have declined.
But this recipe for lemon sherbet–submitted by reader Irmarie Jones, who received it from her mother-in-law in the 1950s–will hopefully change that. It manages to be simultaneously rich, creamy, zingy, and light, all while taking less than 15 minutes to prepare. Given the amount of cream in the recipe, it probably qualifies as more of an ice cream than a sherbet, but its texture isn’t quite the same. Really, it’s in a class of its own.
Note: You can make this lemon sherbet recipe by simply freezing the mixture in a glass or plastic container, but you’ll get the smoothest texture if you prepare it in an ice cream maker.
Yield:
about 1 quart, or 8 servings
Total Time:
15 minutesIngredients
Juice of 2 large lemons
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and sugar until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the milk and whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to medium peaks. Gently fold the cream into the lemon mixture and transfer to an ice cream maker or an airtight freezer-safe container (see Note). Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. For firmer sherbet, transfer to your freezer for at least 2 hours.
The sweet cream is excellent. However, the canned evaporated milk was just as good. I put the sherbert in a 9×13 baking dish in a gramcracker crust, added some lemon zest and some crushed pineapple (drained) and Wow!!! It was great!!!
janderson2323@msn.com
OMG! That sounds delicious!
I am 52 years old. Granny made this when I was a child and spent the summer on her farm. She also favored hers with a package of unsweetened Kool-Aid. My favorite was grape. Thank you for a taste of my childhood.
Made this Sunday, May 20, 2016. You need to add a dash of salt, the taste is “too fresh” without it. That said, we LOVED this tasty cool treat and so will you!
Do I churn it in my ice cream maker?
Where’s the note?
Hi Lorraine. The note is below the recipe description but above the recipe itself. It says “Note: You can make this lemon sherbet recipe by simply freezing the mixture in a glass or plastic container, but you’ll get the smoothest texture if you prepare it in an ice cream maker.”
I just tried this recipe and the lemon juice immediately reacted with the milk and clabbered. The whole bowl went thick and sour-smelling. Super disappointed, would love to know what I did wrong, if anyone has ideas?
Did you mix the juice with sugar first then add milk to that mixture? Kinda tempering it vs adding it all together.
It froze solid.could not scoop it out…had to wait til it thawed. I am not sure this works.
Did you use an ice cream maker? If not it will do this. Usually you scrape it once thawed a little or put in blender/food processor.
I substituted bottled Key Lime Juice for the lemon and it is scrumptious!!