Blackberry Sorbet With Elder Flower Food

BLACKBERRY SORBET WITH ELDER FLOWER

Steps:

• Puree the blackberries in a blender or a food processor or put them through a food mill. Press them through a strainer to remove the seeds.
• Meanwhile, bring the sugar and water to boil in a small saucepan for five minutes. Cool.
• Combine blackberry puree and sugar syrup and mix well. Stir in lemon juice and elder flower concentrate and freeze in an ice cream maker according to directions.

ELDERBERRY SYRUP

Steps:

• Pick the heads of plump elderberries on a sunny day and use a fork to strip the berries from their stalks. Wash the berries if you like, but this isn't necessary as they are going to be strained.
• Tip the berries into a saucepan and cover with about 1cm water. Add any extras like ginger or cloves, if you like. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer gently for 15-20 mins until the berries have softened into a liquid. Leave to cool slightly.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and measure how much liquid you have. For every 500ml of liquid, you'll need 400g of sugar. Tip the sugar and liquid back into the cleaned saucepan with the lemon juice. Bring up to a simmer and gently bubble for about 10 mins until all the sugar has dissolved. Leave the syrup to cool completely and bottle or freeze. Will keep for three months in the fridge or frozen for up to a year. It can be diluted with hot or cold water to drink, used in desserts or drizzled over ice cream.

ELDERFLOWER SORBET

Steps:

• Choose elderflowers with clean, creamy white petals, snipping the stalk just before the flowers fan out. Put in a large pan with the sugar and 550ml water, the lemon juice and the juiced halves of the lemons. Bring to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse (and the sugar to dissolve) for at least 1 hr or up to 5 hrs.
• Line a large sieve with muslin and set over a bowl or pan. Strain the mixture and discard the flower heads and lemons. Pour into a freezeable container (preferably one with a lid) and freeze for 2-3 hrs until semi-frozen.
• Scrape the semi-frozen mixture into a food processor or blender and blitz to break down the lumps of ice - you may need to scrape down the sides a few times. Put the sorbet back in the container and freeze for another 1-2 hrs.
• Repeat this process another two or three times. The more times you blend the sorbet, the smoother it will be. Will keep frozen for up to three months. To serve, remove from the freezer and leave to stand for 5 mins before scooping.

BLACKBERRY SORBET

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar; place pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Increas the heat and boil without stirring for 1 minute.
• Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool completely.
• Place the sugar syrup, blackberries, lime juice, and liqueur in a blender; process until smooth.
• If desired, pour the puree through a strainer to remove the seeds.
• Cover and refrigerate until cold.
• Stir the chilled berry puree, then freeze in batches (if necessary) in your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions.
• When finished, the sorbet will be soft but ready to eat.
• For firmer sorbet, transfer mixture to a freezer container; freeze several hours.