Sorbet

Dissolve sugar in water to make a syrup, then chill it before blending with puréed fruit and a little lemon juice. Freeze the mixture in a shallow metal tray, whisking it every 30 minutes for about 3 hours, until smooth and scoopable.

Use sugar syrup rather than sprinkling in dry sugar, and chill the fruit purée before freezing. Whisking the mixture as it freezes breaks up large ice crystals; a small splash of alcohol can also keep it softer, though too much stops it setting.

Keep it in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container, pressed flat with baking paper or cling film against the surface. Homemade sorbet is best within a month; if it has melted completely, don’t refreeze it.

Serve lemon sorbet between rich courses as a palate cleanser, or pair fruit sorbet with fresh berries, shortbread or a slice of cake. A small scoop also works well alongside warm fruit crumble.

Sorbet is usually made from fruit, water and sugar, with no dairy. Sherbet generally contains a little milk or another dairy ingredient, which makes it creamier.

Sorbet is usually very low in fat because it contains no cream or milk; it has 0.1 g of fat per 100 g. Ice cream’s fat content varies by recipe, but cream-based versions are generally richer.