Peach Sorbet makes a delicious amuse bouche because it hits the “sweet spot”, but is not too sweet. This was my personal lagniappe for the French Creole Dinner and it was a perfect fit between turtle soup and a petite filet.
A Little Peach History
Growing up listening to grandparents refer to a nice lady as a “Georgia peach” and using other aphorisms, I would have guessed they originated in Georgia. It was called the peach state and became its official nickname in 1995. I would be wrong of course, because peaches originated in China somewhere between 6000-2000 B.C.. From there they were introduced to Persia, then Europe and finally the U.S..
Peaches are fuzzy and the skin is edible just like a banana, but most are peeled before consumption. The seeds or pits are correctly referred to as “stones”. All peaches are either a freestone or a clingstone variety and you can tell them apart by the way the flesh separates from the stone. That’s right, you guessed it, one separates easily from the stone and the other does not. Regardless, they all have a delicate aroma and flavor that is truly marvelous.
Peeling Peaches
Begin with ripe peaches. If not, you must use a peeler, but if they are ripe this method practically makes the skins jump off by themselves!
- Prepare a bowl with ice and water
- Use a paring knife to score the skins with an “X” on the bottoms
- Carefully place the peach into a pot of water with a rolling boil and Boil for 20 seconds to 1 minute until the edges of the skins begin to curl
- Remove the peach with a slotted spoon and immerse in the ice-water to cool
- After a minute or so, remove and peel by hand or using the paring knife to grab the edges of the skins. They should easily peel completely off.
Peach Sorbet
A delicious sorbet made with fresh ripe peaches, lemon and sugar
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 5 ripe peaches
- 1/2 cup of water
- 2 TBL lemon juice
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 2 TBL granulated sugar
Instructions
- Wash, prepare and peel peaches
- Remove the pits by cutting around stem to stem, twist and remove, then separate and add the flesh to a blender or food processor
- Combine the water, corn syrup, lemon juice and the sugar in a saucepan, heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup fully incorporated
- Remove, cool slightly until just warm, and add to the food processor, cover and blend until completely smooth
- Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturers instructions
- Place into a bowl, cover and freeze until it is completely set – about 4 hours