Concord Grape Sorbet Recipes

Steps:

• Purée half of grapes in a blender until smooth, then force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Repeat with remaining grapes to yield 3 cups purée. Whisk in sugar until dissolved. Chill until very cold, 3 to 6 hours.
• Freeze in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up, at least 2 hours.

Steps:

• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add lavender. Let steep 10 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve set over a bowl; discard solids. Refrigerate syrup until cold, about 15 minutes.
• Puree grapes in a blender until smooth. Pour through a fine sieve set over a bowl; discard solids. Stir in lavender syrup, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
• Chill a loaf pan in freezer at least 10 minutes. Freeze and churn grape mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions, then transfer to pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hardened, at least 2 hours; sorbet can be frozen up to 2 weeks ahead.

Steps:

• Put the stemmed grapes in a large saucepan with the water. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the grapes are juicy and softened.
• Remove the seeds and skins by passing the grapes through a food mill fitted with a fine disk or by pressing them through a mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Whisk the sugar and corn syrup or agave nectar into the still-warm grape juice until dissolved. (If the grape juice has cooled, rewarm it gently in a saucepan over low heat.) Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Because grapes have a lot of water, sorbet made from them tends to freeze very firmly. The sorbet is best eaten shortly after it's made; otherwise, be sure to remove it from the freezer before serving to allow it to soften.
• A pour of Champagne or other sparkling wine over each serving of sorbet is a nice touch. If you used Concord grapes, a spoonful of whipped cream (page 239) provides creamy contrast.
• If you don't have an ice cream machine, you can make GRAPE GRANITA. Pour the mixture into a shallow plastic container and place it in the freezer. Check periodically, and as the mixture freezes over the course of a few hours, stir and rake the mixture with a fork several times to create grainy crystals.
• Instead of using fresh grapes, you can use 3 cups (750 ml) good-quality unsweetened grape juice. Warm 1 cup (250 ml) of it with the sugar and corn syrup or agave nectar until the sugar dissolves, then mix in the remaining grape juice.
• Grapes can be stemmed quickly in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook: Put the grapes in the bowl and run the mixer on the lowest speed. The hook will pull the grapes off the stems and crush them so they cook quicker; the stems will rise to the top and can be easily removed and discarded.