Herbert may love sherbet, but not because it rhymes with his name

Italian Ice

Italian Ice … Sorbet … Sherbet – similar but not the same.

All of these cool, yummy treats are made the same way as ice cream but each has varying degrees of healthfulness in comparison to their rich, creamy cousin.

Italian ice and sorbet are basically the same thing with form of the essential ingredients being the major differentiator.  Italian ice is made with syrup or a lower quality fruit puree  . . . 

Sorbet

Sorbet is made with fresh fruit & fresh fruit juices.

Italian ice is not to be confused with a Snow Cone, which is nothing more than shaved ice with some sicky sweet syrup poured on it.  Not even close.

And, what’s with folks from the Jersey shore . . . the place not the show . . . calling Italian Ice “water ice”?  Isn’t all ice made from water?  Or is Italian ice made from Italians?

Sherbet

What-eh-vah!

I digress . . .

Sherbet  . . . pronounced sher-bit not sher-bert . . . is much the same as sorbet with the exception of the addition of dairy to sherbet . . . in essence low dairy, high fruit ice cream.

And if you’re curious about gelato, it is fundamentally the same as ice cream with a lower butterfat content.

I’m going to show you how to make sherbet without the necessity of using an ice cream maker.  It’s quick, easy and  . . . best of all . . . tasty!  You can use this same method to make any of the other frozen delight described above.

This recipe is made easier if you use prepared orange juice.  I fresh squeezed oranges because I'm a glutton for punishment.  Really, it's not all that hard to juice oranges just a bit more time consuming.

Orange Sherbet in a Bag (Makes about one quart)

• 7 Ounces Sugar – I Use Confectioner’s Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Finely Grated Orange Zest
• 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 2 Cups Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice, Approximately 2 To 3 Pounds Oranges
• 1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 Cups Very Cold Whole Milk

A mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the milk and process until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 1 minute. Whisk in the milk.

Pour the mixture into a quart size freezer (Ziploc) bag. Seal the bag securely.

Put 2 cups of ice into the gallon size freezer (Ziplo) bag.

Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup salt (sodium chloride) to the bag of ice.  Rock salt is ideal for this but you can use any kind of salt you like . . . I used salt without iodine because it's cheaper.

Place the sealed quart bag inside the gallon bag of ice and salt. Seal the gallon bag securely.

Gently rock the gallon bag from side to side. It's best to hold it by the top seal or to have gloves or a cloth between the bag and your hands because the bag will be cold enough to damage your skin.

Continue to rock the bag for 10-15 minutes or until the contents of the quart bag have solidified into ice cream.

Remove the quart bag, open it, serve immediately for soft serve or put in the freezer for a firmer consistency.

ENJOY!