cranberry orange sorbet

The sun will set in about an hour here on the banks of the muddy Mississippi.  It's cooler now....but tomorrow is coming.  We are seeing a daily heat index of 100+ in early June.

feel the freeze

In the fall, I have great plans for the bags of cranberries that line the grocery produce area.  Sadly, the berries find their way to the freezer. But now, in June, they have burst into their full potential.

Cranberry Orange Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cold juice from cranberry jam (see recipe below) (this juice, after cooling in refrigerator, was the consistency of chilling jello)
• 2 T honey
• 2 T Grand Marnier
• 1 T superfine sugar

Mixing:

1. Combine all ingredients
2. Pour into ice cream freezer
3. Freeze for 40 minutes; the sorbet will be soft, but frozen.
4. Quickly transfer to freezer container and store in freezer.
5. This scoops easily directly from the freezer.

This sorbet is rich; a couple of small scoops are both brain-freeze refreshing and filling

Cranberry Jam
(recipe adapted from here)

Ingredients:

• 28 ounces cranberries
• 1 orange, juice and zest
• 24 ounces granulated sugar
• 24 fluid ounces water
• pinch of salt

Mixing:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pan.
2. Place on stove top and bring to a slow simmer.
3. After you hear the first cranberry pop (it really does pop; first experience for me!), set your timer for 12 minutes.
4. After the twelve minutes, remove pan from heat.
5. Pour liquid through strainer (I used a food mill), separating the liquid from the solids.

Yield:

• approximately 6 cups juice
• approximately 3 cups cranberry jam

frost slopes across the edge of the jar as I enjoy the sorbet before it melts

not your Grandmother's version of the Thanksgiving cranberry-orange sauce

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