Belgian lambics rely on spontaneous fermentation from naturally occurring wild yeasts, giving this beer style its acidity and distinctive tartness. It doesn’t sound too different from the process that makes sourdough sour, does it? The particular style used in this sorbet recipe is fruit lambic — fresh whole fruits are added once the fermentation starts.

There’s a wide variety of fruit lambics available to use in this recipe:

• framboise (raspberry)
• kriek (cherry)
• pêche (peach)
• cassis (black currant)
• pomme (apple)

My favorite is easily the raspberry lambic. It also seems to be the most widely available.

There’s only one thing wrong with this sorbet recipe. Fresh raspberries and framboise lambic are perfectly fine on their own. I’m a firm believer in leaving well enough alone so I had a bit of trouble trying this recipe for the first time.

I couldn’t even keep the ingredients on hand long enough due to an uncontrollable habit of mindlessly popping raspberries in my mouth every few seconds. Before I realize it, there’s nothing left in the container but red streaks. A snifter or two of framboise lambic is also never a bad idea after dinner. It’s the ideal dessert beer.

The raspberries had to go directly from the bag into the blender just to make sure. Ah, the problems I face.

Now that I’ve tried it, I can wholeheartedly say that it is absolutely worth it.

Waiter, there’s something in my… berries hosted by Cook Sister!

recipe adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Raspberry Lambic Sorbet

makes 1 1/4 quarts

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
3 cups (about 18 ounces) raspberries
1 cup framboise lambic

Notes:

• I’ve never stocked light corn syrup in my pantry so I used honey as a substitute.
• I used Lindemans framboise lambic. The raspberry aroma upon popping the cork is intense. Yeah, this beer is corked, which means that the Alström Brothers will punch you in the face if you drink it straight from the bottle. Or put it in a dainty sorbet. Respect beer.
• There’s a lot of room for experimentation as far as fruit and lambic flavor combinations. The original recipe uses sour cherries and kriek lambic but the fresh and fermented version don’t have to come from the same fruit. Any ideas?

Heat the sugar, honey, and water in a small saucepan just until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool the syrup completely.

Puree the raspberries (or your choice of fruit) in the blender until smooth. Mix in the syrup and the lambic.

Pour the sorbet base slowly into your actively churning ice cream maker. After about 30 minutes, it should look a little something like this:

Can you wait another four hours?

Pack the sorbet into the chilled container of your choice and freeze until firm, about four hours.

Please take it away from me before I inhale it.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Lambic Sorbet

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