Pink Lemonade Sorbet Mint (Printable)

A zesty pink lemonade frozen treat with fresh mint, ideal for cooling off on sunny days.

# What You Need:

→ Sorbet Base

01 - 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately 5-6 lemons)
02 - 1/2 cup cranberry juice (unsweetened or light for color)
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 cups cold water
05 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
06 - 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Mint

07 - 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish

→ Optional Garnishes

08 - Lemon slices or zest curls, for serving

# Steps:

01 - Combine sugar, 1 cup water, and mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to extract mint flavor.
02 - Pour the mint syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, firmly pressing on the leaves to extract all flavorful liquid. Discard the spent mint solids.
03 - Add the remaining 1 cup cold water, lemon juice, cranberry juice, lemon zest, and sea salt to the strained mint syrup. Whisk thoroughly until all ingredients are fully incorporated and salt is dissolved.
04 - Transfer the mixture to a shallow metal pan or freezer-safe container. Place in freezer for 1 hour to begin the freezing process.
05 - After 1 hour, remove from freezer and use a fork to scrape the frozen edges toward the center, breaking up ice crystals. Return immediately to freezer.
06 - Continue scraping the mixture every 30-45 minutes for 3-4 hours total. The sorbet is ready when it achieves a light, fluffy, and granular consistency throughout.
07 - Scoop the finished sorbet into chilled bowls or cups. Garnish generously with fresh mint leaves and lemon slices or zest curls if desired. Serve immediately while firm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The color alone makes people pause and smile before they even take a bite
  • Its somehow both sophisticated and nostalgic, like summer in a bowl
  • No ice cream maker required for the method I learned works perfectly
02 -
  • The scraping method requires patience but creates a texture just as smooth as any machine churned version
  • A shallow metal container makes all the difference in how evenly the mixture freezes
  • Room temperature ingredients before freezing prevent ice crystals from forming
03 -
  • The syrup should cool completely before combining with other ingredients to prevent premature melting
  • If your cranberry juice is sweetened, reduce the sugar by two tablespoons to maintain balance

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