Ingredients:

  • 1 lb fresh sweet cherries, pitted (450 g) — or 450 g frozen cherries, thawed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g) — adjust to taste
  • 3/4 cup water (180 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
  • Pinch fine sea salt (about 1/8 tsp)
  • Optional: 1–2 tablespoons kirsch or vodka (15–30 ml) — improves scoopability

Instructions:

  1. Prep the cherries: wash and pit fresh cherries (or thaw and drain frozen). Tip: cut an X in a test cherry to confirm pits are removed.
  2. Make a simple syrup: combine sugar and water in a saucepan, warm gently stirring until sugar dissolves, simmer 1–2 minutes then remove from heat and cool slightly.
  3. Cook the cherries (recommended): add pitted cherries to the warm syrup and simmer 5–8 minutes until softened and juices release; mash slightly, then cool to room temperature. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and optional liqueur.
  4. Purée and strain: purée cherries and syrup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Push purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to remove skins and solids for a silky texture.
  5. Chill the base: cover and refrigerate the purée until thoroughly chilled (about 1 hour) or chill rapidly in an ice bath.
  6. Churn method (recommended): pour chilled purée into an ice-cream maker and churn per manufacturer’s instructions (usually 20–30 minutes) until soft-serve consistency. Transfer to a shallow airtight container and freeze 2–4 hours to firm.
  7. No-machine method: pour purée into a shallow metal pan and freeze. Every 20–30 minutes, stir vigorously with a whisk or fork to break ice crystals; repeat for 3–4 hours until smooth and scoopable.
  8. Serve: let sorbet sit at room temperature 5 minutes before scooping. Garnish with mint, lemon zest, or whole cherries as desired.