Cherry Tarragon Sorbet

This time of year, cherries are the fruit to get a hold of! I will admit making something with cherries is a challenge for me, considering that I love eating cherries as is. I had to make sure to not to dig into the cherries I bought specifically to make this refreshing Cherry Tarragon Sorbet. When my friend Louise first introduced me to a cherry, tarragon, and carob sorbet she made, I was intrigued. That’s when I set out to make a similar sorbet. The results were fantastic and it’s a delicious way to combine fresh fruit and herbs into a summer treat…

This sorbet only calls for 5 ingredients. I used fresh cherries for this sorbet and loved the result. Sweet, yet tart and with a slight hint of tarragon. The tarragon gave it a nice herbal touch without being too strong. I was quite surprised how well the tarragon complimented the cherries. The other key ingredient was ground ginger. It added a little depth and balanced the tartness a bit. Who knew fresh herbs and fruit would work so well as a sorbet? I especially liked how this was a perfect palate cleanser after a meal!

1/2 cup sugar
4 cups pitted fresh or frozen cherries
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 13/4 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Pass the cherries through a food mill or puree in a food processor and then pass them through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the solids and place the juice in a large bowl. (You should have about 2 cups.) Whisk in the ginger, tarragon, lemon juice and sugar-water mixture.

Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.