One tradition I am truely proud of having started in my scout group is that on our groups yearly XC ski trip into Lake O'Hara, the Rovers have the best food. Nothing drives home that you do not have to suffer bad food in order to be light weight than eating re-hydrated pasta while the Rover beside you enjoys citrus marinated pork chops with garlic mashed potatoes and finishes it off with a slice of apple crisp.

I am also proud to say that the quality of food the scouts now bring has increased from merely edible to rather decent. The downside is that I can not trade a portion of my dinner in return for having all my dishes done. I could go on about the wonderful meals up there, but that isn't what I called this page, now is it?

On With the Sorbet!

Sorbet is basically frozen fruit, sugar, and ice. It makes for a nice light and refreshing dessert. I have not figured out how to do this in the summer yet, but when you have snow you can have sorbet or even ice cream! (same process, different results). This recipe feeds 3 to 4 people.

Stuff to put in/use

Sorbet

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup white sugar   ~50% more if you had to buy fruit from a groccery store
• 2 1/2 cups strawberries   - 1 packet (3"x4"x8") from your groccery store
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cups boiling water   - not needed if you don't dehydrate the fruit

The Magic

• 1 large freezer ziploc bag
• 1 small freezer ziploc bag
• 4-8 handfuls ice or snow-    (not too picky here, ice is better)
• 1/2 cup course table salt

How to put it all together

1. Blenderize your strawberries with the lemon juice and sugar into a pulp.
2. *Dehydrate your pulp it into leather.
3. *Re-hydrate your leather by tossing it into 2 cups of boiling water.
4. *Take the mixture off the stove after 5-10 minutes and place somewhere safe for 5-6 hours. Stir once or twice.
5. Now put the 1/3 cup water and reconstituted strawberries into the small ziploc bag. Squeeze out the air before sealing the bag.
6. Put the ice, salt, and small ziploc bag into the large bag. Squeeze out the air and seal.
7. Massage/shake/vibrate/toss the bags vigorusly for 10-15 minutes.
8. Eat the contents from the small bag, making it plainly obvious how amazingly good it is.

*This works, but not nearly as nice as you might think, I personally just take up frozen concentrate juice, or the puree.

Check out my Ice Cream page for the science and other ideas.

Other Sorbets

Want other flavors? Just replace the Sorbet ingredients. Keep the magic ones though.

Substitutes

• You can swap out the 1/3 water with orange juice, just mix it in while blending. You can also reduce the sugar by a third if you do so.
• You can swap out the strawberries with any other berry, or just add them in on top.
• Frozen fruit juice concentrate can also be substituted for water and sugar and fruit. Or just the water and sugar.

Chocolate Sorbet

• 1 1/2 cup water
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup finely chopped chocolate
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Stirring vigorously, bring 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, and cocoa to a boil. Remove from heat and add the rest of the water, chocolate, and vanilla extract. Put mixture in small bag (remember to leave air in), chill for 2 hours. Now jump back up to step 5.

Lemon Sorbet

• 1 lemon peel finely diced.
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup green tea

Stirring vigorously, bring 1 cup water, sugar, and lemon peel to a boil. Remove from heat and add the rest of the water, lemon juice, and green tea. Put mixture in small bag (remember to leave air in), chill for 2 hours. Now jump back up to step 5.