In addition, frozen fruit can be used, either store bought or if you had preserved fruits in the freezer; in fact, fruits such as peaches are much easier to use when already frozen, as the skin has usually already been removed.
To make sorbet, you need: About 5 cups of chopped fruits or berries. The juicier the better, such as various berries and stone fruits. A food processor or blender.
Wash and peel (if necessary) the fruits, then chop (again, if necessary) into inch-square-sized pieces. Set aside about 1 cup from the batch, and scatter the other 4 cups onto a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the freezer and the 1 cup in the fridge overnight.
When you're ready to make the sorbet, take frozen fruits and pulse them in a food processor, making sure to break up all the chunks so you have a smooth fruit puree. Add sugar as needed to smooth out the fruit - about ½ cup should be enough, but add enough so the sorbet is sweet enough and not too tart (raspberries, for example, need more sugar than strawberries). You can also add a little water to make the fruit smooth. Add refrigerated fruit and blend until smooth, then serve or store in the freezer until you're ready for it.
Teresa Shaw is a freelance writer based in Ann Arbor. Contact her at teresawrites (at) yahoo (dot) com or visit her Web site, Think Inside the Icebox.
Photo: Teresa Shaw, Think Inside the Icebox

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