Flavor #69 - Cranberry Orange Sorbet

Cranberries have been a part of the local cuisine here in New England dating back to the Native Americans. there are cranberry bogs all throughout southeast Massachusetts and have played a big part in the local economy. Most of the time, the bogs don't look line much.

But once the berries are ready for harvest, the farmer will flood the bog and rake out the cranberries, which will float to the surface when they are ripe. 

For years, cranberries were something you only had at Thanksgiving while cranberry juice was considered something you only drank while on a diet. Now, these bitter little berries are everywhere, except in your freezer for desert.

It took me a while before I found a cranberry recipe I liked as I was looking for one where I did not have to over sweeten with sugar to compensate for the tartness of the berry. This is the problem I have always had with cranberry cocktails, there is so much sugar in the drink. The orange juice makes for a nice sweet contrast. Still, there is a lot of sugar in this sucker!

5 Cups Washed Fresh Cranberries

1 1/2 Cup Sugar

1 1/2 Cups Water

1 Half Cup Orange juice

1/8 Cup Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup

All the lot into a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a low boil. Wait for the cranberries to pop before taking the pot off the stove. Cool the mixture before adding it to a blender. make sure the top is on tight before you liquify the mix or else your entire kitchen will look like a scene from Dexter. Once the mix is liquified, strain the solids out of the mix and chill until you are ready to place the mix in your machine.

I've found a few things that sets this sorbet apart. First is how the initial taste is that of the orange followed by the weaker bitter cranberry after taste. The second thing is how creamy this sorbet is with its texture. I attribute this to the corn syrup in the recipe.

Enjoy!