Very Berry Buttermilk Sherbet

I thought I’d have more time to write at this point in the year, but I’ve been preoccupied by my youngest son’s graduation from high school, as well as planning for a fall trip to the UK — our first official empty nest vacation. Is there such a thing?

Both events provide me an excuse to spend time at my Mac even though one is rarely needed.  Who knew that sifting through 18 years of significant world events, pop culture, family photos and memories could be so time consuming?  Each rediscovered piece of a life gives me pause, and I can’t resist indulging myself more time than is necessary to collect this piece or that to add to a collection that will commemorate my son’s big milestone.  Memories of my own graduation day and those of my two older sons have me counting the years since, amazed at how truly quickly they have passed.

When I become too maudlin,  trip planning commences and the details of deciding which route to take from London, how many nights to spend where, and which pubs might best entice us to stop and sample a pint or two gives me something to look forward to. It doesn’t quite distract me from wondering how it will feel after so many years of having growing boys in my house, to have none.

Oh my goodness.

I’d say it’s time for some ice cream, wouldn’t you?  Or what about sherbet?

Definitely.

Berry Buttermilk Sherbet

6 oz. raspberries

6 oz. blackberries

6 oz. blueberries

1/2 c. raw sugar

1-3/4 c. buttermilk

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp. cardamom

Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth.  Pour into the container of an electric ice cream maker and run until frozen, but soft enough to spread into a container to place in the freezer.  Seal well and freeze 1-2 hours before serving.

Notes:

• This was adapted from a recipe in the June 2010 issue of Sunset magazine.
• First things first:  Sherbet is pronounced like this. There is no “r” in the second syllable.  But you knew that, right?  Just checking.
• Why is this a sherbet and not a sorbet?  Sherbet contains dairy products, although most often the fat content is quite low compared to that of ice cream.  Sorbet contains no dairy products.
• If the idea of seeds from the berries concerns you, then puree them first and force them through a sieve.  This in not my favorite thing to do, and I don’t mind the seeds, so no sieve and sherbet far more quickly.
• If you wanted to make this without an electric ice cream freezer, spread in a shallow metal baking pan and freeze it for 30 minutes.  Remove from the freezer and using a spatula, scrape the sherbet from the bottom of the pan and then smooth it out again.  Repeat as needed until firm enough to scoop.
• If it hardens too much to scoop, allow it to sit at room temperature about 10 minutes to soften a bit.
• Highly recommended. The berry flavor is intense, the buttermilk provides a pleasant tang, and it’s not too sweet.
• Guaranteed not to make you feel guilty, and much more healthy compared to ice cream.  Think of all those lovely antioxidants!
• OOH-LA-LA bowl below courtesy of a very nice lady who gifted it to me chock-full of fudge sauce.  Thanks, Carolyn!

Tagged as: buttermilk, frozen, sherbet