After my previous success with Rose & Raspberry Sorbet, I wanted to try my hand at gelato and sherbet to see what the difference was between them all.
I had some buttermilk (whey) left over from my cheese-making, so chose Blueberry Buttermilk Sherbet – another Martha Stewart recipe; and Lemon Gelato from the Ice cream Maker Recipe book. The sherbet is slightly creamier than the sorbet and the gelato is creamier again. There are two types of gelato: the sugar syrup gelato that I made has a light refreshing taste with a hint of creaminess while a custard based gelato has a creamier texture but is lighter than ice cream (that will have to be my next comparison). The creamier the product, the quicker it softens for serving – the sorbet can take quite a while to soften enough to scoop whereas the gelato can pretty much be scooped right away.
I tried out my 3 different creations with friends. The verdict was ‘delicious!’ and difficult to pick a favourite as they were all quite different. It was fun to have a taste of each of them all together. The Blueberry Buttermilk Sherbet and the Lemon Gelato was a particularly nice combination.
Blueberry Buttermilk Sherbet
3 cups blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Puree blueberries and sugar in a blender until smooth. Pour through a sieve set over a bowl; discard solids. Stir in buttermilk, lemon zest, and vanilla.
Chill a loaf tin or plastic container in the freezer. Freeze and churn blueberry mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions, then transfer to the container. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hardened, at least 2 hours. Sherbet can be frozen up to 2 weeks ahead.
Lemon Gelato
1 cup water
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup lemon zest
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup thickened cream
Place water, sugar, lemon zest and juice into a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature and strain through a sieve. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
Whisk together the lemon syrup and cream in a jug. Add mixture to ice cream maker as directed in the instructions. When the mixture has thickened and reaches the top of the paddle, the gelato is ready. Transfer the gelato to a cold container. Freeze until ready to serve. Makes approx. 750ml.
Oh so yummy, and great photos too!