“Is it that time already?”
“I think it is”
“It’s Pimm’s o’clock!”
I have finally found my perfect summer pudding. It’s light, refreshing and a little boozy. It’s Pimms sorbet and frankly it’s amazing!
Pimm’s goes with summer like strawberries go with cream and fish go with chips.
Nothing gets you through sunny day like a cold glass of No.1 cup filled with sweet strawberries, refreshing cucumber and cooling mint.
So it’s little surprise it makes such a good sorbet!
Since starting this blog I have had plenty of requests from friends and colleagues asking me to feature their favourite thing next. The request for pimms sorbet was less a request more an order – luckily an order I was happy to take! The machine will be churning plenty more of this before summer is over!
The base is made from all the fruit you normally put into a jug of pimms, made to sing by the addition of plenty of pimms and given the perfect finishing edge by whispers of mint stirred throughout. I can’t emphasise enough just how good it is!
Having an ice cream maker is definitely not essential for this sorbet. Normally one helps to stop it freezing too hard and getting too icing but the alcohol sorts that out for you here. Really I can’t think of an excuse not to make it!
The idea came from friends who tried it at an event earlier in the summer. The winning element in their eyes, which I was keen to maintain, were the notable bites of mint throughout. Biting down on one at the end of a spoonful really is the perfect finish to a fabulous thing.
Give it a go and you won’t look back.
Recipe
Serves 8
200g caster sugar
100ml water
250g strawberries, hulled
150g cucumber, peeled and with the watery middle removed (150g of left over cucumber)
2tbsp orange juice
1tbsp lemon juice
2tbsp mint, roughly chopped
150m Pimm’s
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Put the water and sugar in a pan and heat gently, stirring, until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up and boil for 3mins (until it reaches 105°C if you have a thermometer). Pour into a bowl and leave to cool
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As the sugar syrup is cooling blitz the strawberries, cucumber and juice to a purée in a food processed or using a handheld blender. Add the pimm’s and blitz again. Pour into a bowl and stir in the mint
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Once the sugar syrup is at room temperature combine it will the fruit/ pimms mixture and refrigerate until cold
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If you have an ice cream machine freeze it in that according to it’s instructions, baring in mind it may take a little longer than usual and not set too hard (normally I leave ice cream in for 30mins, I left this 45mins). Spoon into a tub and freeze for at least 3 hours before eating
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If you don’t have an ice cream machine pour the cold mixture into a tub and pop in the freezer. After a couple of hours mix it all up again using a fork. Do this again an hour after and a final time an hour after that. Leave until scoopable before serving
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Enjoy (but don’t eat and drive!)