Pink Grapefruit Sorbet Basil (Printable)

A vibrant blend of pink grapefruit and fresh basil delivers a cool, elegant frozen treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Sorbet Base

01 - 1 cup granulated sugar
02 - 1 cup water

→ Fruit

03 - 2 cups freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
04 - 2 teaspoons pink grapefruit zest

→ Herbs

05 - 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, packed

→ Optional Enhancements

06 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
07 - Pinch of sea salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat immediately.
02 - Add fresh basil leaves to the hot syrup. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes to extract herbal flavors.
03 - Strain syrup through a fine mesh sieve, discarding used basil leaves. Allow syrup to cool completely to room temperature.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together pink grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, cooled basil syrup, lemon juice if using, and sea salt until fully incorporated.
05 - Refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour until thoroughly cold, ensuring optimal texture during churning.
06 - Pour chilled mixture into an ice cream maker. Churn according to manufacturer's instructions, typically 20-25 minutes, until mixture reaches a thick, slushy consistency.
07 - Transfer sorbet to a freezer-safe container. Cover tightly and freeze for minimum 3 hours until firm enough to scoop.
08 - Let sorbet sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The basil whispers instead of shouts, letting grapefruits electric sweetness shine through
  • It freezes into that impossible texture between slushy and silky that most homemade sorbets only dream about
  • Takes five minutes of actual work and makes you look like you understand fine dining
02 -
  • Room temperature sorbet scoops like velvet, frozen solid sorbet fights you every step
  • The basil can turn bitter if you steep it longer than 30 minutes, so watch that clock
  • Overchurning creates a weirdly buttery texture—stop when it looks like soft serve
03 -
  • If your grapefruits are disappointingly bland, add another teaspoon of lemon juice
  • No ice cream maker? Pour the mixture into a shallow pan and fork it up every hour for 6 hours

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