Please the Eye and Tempt the Palate: Blackberry Sorbet

The combination of the incredible summer heat we’ve been having plus my addiction to the farmer’s market has led to lots of sorbet making in our house. This really is KISS - Keep it seasonal and simple™ - cooking at it’s easiest.

Sorbets are fabulous because they require about 5-10 minutes of actual effort, followed by a bit of patience while they freeze with a huge payoff in taste and enjoyment at the end of the day. My pattern is to hit the market in the morning and when I get home throw together a sorbet and put it in the freezer. Then that evening the whole family can reap the rewards.

This week blackberries caught my eye. They were gorgeous. Huge, super dark purple berries in a mouthwatering array of quart boxes. How could I resist?

A plain white oval casserole dish holds the sorbet and is paired with a truly spectacular berry spoon in the ‘Blackberry’ pattern by Tiffany. This particular spoon was made in 1872.

Comparing the blackberries on the handle with the real thing renewed my appreciation of this gilded era prize. The spoon replicates the blackberry vine and berries down to the finest detail.

These large berry spoons are found in virtually every pattern and they make excellent serving pieces for all sorts of dishes...not just berries.

Blackberry Sorbet

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 quart blackberries, washed
2 tsp. lemon juice

Add all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring. Once the sugar has dissolved and the berries will have just about been heated and softened the whole way through. Turn off the heat and pour the entire mixture into a fine mesh strainer that is set over a bowl. Squash the berries into the mesh with the back of a wooden spoon to separate out the seeds. Once you’ve squashed out as much blackberry yumminess as possible put the bowl in the freezer and head off to enjoy the rest of the day.

Serve and enjoy!
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Nancy Stuckwisch of Silver Magpies has had a life-long fascination with vintage silver. She loves to cook and entertain and believes we should get the silverware out of the cupboard, onto the table, and then into the dishwasher. She writes for her own blog and is a regular columnist for Silver Magazine.