You'll be cool as a cucumber all summer long with this cucumber sorbet. It's light, refreshing and just a little bit fancy!
Jump to:
What do you do when it's summer and your cucumber patch is going bananas? You've given them to your neighbors, taken them to work, and still have heaps left. This easy cucumber and mint sorbet is the answer.
It uses a lot of cucumbers, either from the garden if your patch is pumping, or nice and affordable when they are in season. Add a few springs of mint, a little sugar and black pepper and you're good to go. Wait, did you say black pepper?!
Yes, yes I did. The black pepper gives this sorbet a lovely savory note and elevates it to something truly unique. And my eldest loved it, so it's arguably even kid friendly!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple sorbet recipe with just four ingredients.
- Great as a palate cleanser for a dinner party.
- Refreshingly different and perfect for summer!
I whipped up this easy sorbet in my Ninja Creami, but you can make it in a regular ice cream churner too.
Ninja® CREAMi® is a registered trademark of SharkNinja. This recipe is not sponsored or endorsed by SharkNinja in any way (but hey if you see this I'd Love to talk) however I'm a big fan of my Ninja Creami and making delicious recipes with it!
Ingredients
Cucumbers: lots and lots of cucumbers!
Mint: simple garden mint is fine, but you could try other varieties.
Black Pepper: a little black pepper brings some wonderful savory notes to this sorbet.
Granulated white sugar: is needed to help balance and brighten the flavor.
How to make cucumber sorbet
See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.
Hot tip: if your cucumbers are hairy or spiny carefully remove the spines by gently rubbing a sharp knife over the outside.
Dice the cucumbers. Add in batches to a tall jug and blitz with an immersion blender. You may need to work at it for a minute until the juices start to release from the cucumber and it blends properly.
Strain the blitzed cucumber over a bowl to collect the juice. Gently shake the strainer to remove extra juice. You can use a food processor or a juicer for this step if you have one.
Repeat with the remaining cucumber. You should have 2 and â…” cups of cucumber juice.
Wash the mint, pick it from the woody stems and chop finely. Add the mint to a pot with the sugar, water and freshly ground black pepper. Heat on medium-low, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow to steep for ten minutes.
Strain the sugar, mint and black pepper mix and add to the cucumber juice. Mix well.
If using a Ninja Cream, add to the tub, put on the lid and freeze for 24 hours.
Hot tip: make sure your pint is on a flat surface in the freezer and the level is flat. If the mix has developed a bump in the middle use a spoon to carefully scrap down and flatten the bump before spinning.
Once frozen spin on sorbet. If the mix is a little crumbly after the first spin (a common problem), flatten slightly, pour over 1 tablespoon of water and respin.
If making an ice cream churner chill for about four hours until cold, then churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.
How to serve
To serve this refreshing savory sorbet scoop into a bowl or pretty serving glass and enjoy! If serving at a dinner party garnish with fresh mint and spears of cucumber. Delicious!
How to store
If making in the ninja, flatten any left overs in the tub and pop the lid on. Spin again before eating.
If making in an ice cream container store in an airtight container.
The black pepper flavor fades pretty quickly, so best eaten with 24 hours of making for maximum savory flavor. The sorbet will still be safe to eat after this, but the pepper and mint flavor will fade over time.
Tips for success and frequently asked questions
What sort of cucumbers should I use?
Whatever sort you like. I had a bucket load growing in my garden in a nice sunny patch, so I used those. I think they were Lebanese cucumbers but I lost the label, so who knows!
Do I need to peel the cucumbers or remove the seeds?
No and no. I would leave the skin on as you'll get better cucumber flavor. And the seeds and skin will get strained out anyway.
What type of mint should I use?
Plain old garden mint is fine, sometimes also called cottage mint. But this would also be interesting with other mint varieties such as chocolate mint, basil mint or Vietnamese mint.
Can I leave out the black pepper?
Yes, but it's deliciously unique with it. If you are unsure you could try using half the amount of pepper instead.
I only have ground pepper, is that OK?
Yes, but because the pepper is finer more will likely get through when you strain it, so I would reduce the pepper by half if using ground pepper.
My sorbet froze like a rock, help!
If making in the Ninja, flatten any leftovers in the tub before storing and respin before eating. If making in a regular ice cream churner I would add half a flat tablespoon (15gms) of glucose syrup which should keep it nice and scoopable in the freezer.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream
More yummy desserts with fresh summer produce, from your garden or the market!
Why not try making
Remember to subscribe to the Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream newsletter and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes to tempt your taste buds!
Put any photos of your delicious creations on socials? Remember to tag @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream on Insta so I can see your delicious creations!
Have you made this recipe? Please leave a star rating and comment below 🙂 It helps other people find the recipe so they can share the deliciousness!
📋 Recipe
Cucumber Sorbet
Ingredients
- Approx. 3 lbs. (1.3kgs) cucumbers
- 3 sprigs Fresh mint
- ¼ cup (55gms) granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dice the cucumbers.
- NB do not peel your cucumbers, but if they have any hairy or spiky bits you may want to carefully scrap them off with a knife.
- Add some of the diced cucumber to a deep sided jug. Blitz until the juices are all released.
- Strain and reserve the cucumber juice. Gently shake the strainer to release more juice.
- Wash the mint. Remove the leaves from the woody stems.
- Finely chop the mint. Add it to a pot with the sugar, water and ground black pepper.
- Heat on medium low. Stir well untill the sugar is dissolved. Steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain the sugar mix. Add the liquid to the cucumber juice. Stir well.
In a Ninja Creami:
- Pour the mix into the Ninja tube.
- Freeze for 24 hours.
- Spin on sorbet.
- If the mix looks crumbly, drizzle over one tablespoon of water and respin.
In an ice cream maker:
- Churn in your ice cream maker according the manufacturers instructions.
- The sorbet will resemble soft serve when done.
- If you prefer firmer sorbet, transfer to an airtight cointainer and freeze for an hour or two until firmer.
To serve:
- Scoop the sorbet into a bowl or pretty glass. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint and sliced cucumber and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
Join the community!
Like Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream on Facebook for more great recipes
Comments
No Comments