Living in Arizona we have access to excellent citrus; so many people have citrus trees here! When we saw this recipe called for 3 cups of fresh lemon juice, we knew we wouldn’t have to buy them, nor would we want to! I got 9 very large lemons from a friend – they were seriously the size of grapefruits! They gave me about 4 cups of lemon juice – yay! 

The end result of this sorbet was refreshing and delicious; perfect for summer in AZ! The basil offers a light undertone and is not overpowering. I think this could be made with any herb that compliments lemon, but the basil was great!

You can really taste the basil!

Ingredients

3 c. water
2 c. powdered fructose
2 tbsp. lemon zest (1 1/2 + 1/2, divided)
1 1/2 c. packed fresh basil leaves
pinch salt
3 c. fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Juice lemons and strain using a cheesecloth to remove pulp and small seeds.

2. Prepare a simple syrup with the water, powdered fructose and 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon zest in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the mixture until the powdered fructose is dissolved; it will go from cloudy to clear. Remove from heat.

3. Add the basil leaves and pinch of salt. Let steep for 30 minutes, covered.

4. Stir in lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours, or overnight (up to 3 days).

5. Strain the chilled mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the basil leaves and any remaining lemon pulp. Add to ice cream maker and process until texture is soft and creamy; mine took 30 minutes. Serve immediately or transfer to a container and freeze for later!

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