Muscavado Blueberry Plum Sorbet
Mid-summer wild blueberries and sweet plums tend to show up around the same time at the farm stands here, conveniently marketing themselves to be paired together in the kitchen.
I’ve long been a fan of the blueberry-plum flavour combination because it is a perfect balance of tart and sweet. These fruits also cook up into preserves and desserts of the most gorgeous purple hue that are hard to resist.
I’ve made a very successful fruit butter and pancake syrup with the two, now I’m marrying the berries and stone fruit into a vibrant sorbet perfect for summertime.
Without question, Joy the Baker was my inspiration for this recipe. With this simple plum sorbet, she had me running for the kitchen and playing around with fruits I had on hand – blueberries and plums, naturally.
This sweet summertime dessert is very simple. There’s a quick cook of the fruit into a jammy syrup, a zip in the blender to puree it smooth, a good long chill, and lastly a churn in your ice cream machine. These steps are well worth the effort, which you’ll conclude with the first spoonful or lick…
The extra-dark Muscavado sugar adds a deep, almost molasses-like flavour, that is quite sensational paired with the lush fruits. Find it in the organics section of your grocery or health foods store.
Thanks to the vodka, the sorbet stays soft and scoopable, even after a week in the deep freeze. You can leave out the vodka, but know that the sorbet will freeze rock-hard. In that case, just remove it from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.
Muscavado Blueberry Plum Sorbet
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Muscavado sugar packed
- 1 cup wild or cultivated blueberries washed
- 5 medium plums pitted, sliced
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon vodka
Instructions
- Combine Muscavado sugar with 2 cups of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Gently tip the blueberries and plums into the sugar syrup. Simmer the fruit over medium heat for 12-14 minutes or until it cooks down and softens. Remove pan from heat.
- Carefully add the hot fruit and liquid to a blender. Cover the lid with a tea towel and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cool, then chill overnight.
- When ready to churn, pour lime juice and vodka into the fruit puree and whisk well to incorporate.
- Follow your ice cream machine instructions to churn puree into a soft sorbet. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and allow to solidify in the freezer for at least 4 hours before scooping and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you have a favourite summer sorbet?
I never would have thought to combine blueberries and plums, but it sounds delicious and the color is beautiful! …and Clara is adorable eating it, as always! 🙂
Ha – Thanks! She was happy to oblige.
Ooh this looks really yummy!!
This sorbet sounds fantastic! Definitely one to watch for those of us with plum trees. And I love that amazing color too.
You have a plum tree? How fortunate!
What is an option for those without ice cream makers is it possible can I churn for a while in a stand mixer
You are right, the most incredible colour! I am going to try and adapt this recipe for popsicles! I actually just bought both blueberries and plums this morning. Beauty!
Let me know how it turns out! We love popsicles around here.
Interesting combination, I’ve never thought to use blueberry and plum together. I’ll have to try it. I love the color!
Oh, I have a tree full of Italian plums that would make this recipe awesome! I’m going to try this out when I get back from camping. See how the wife likes it!
Gorgeous color! I always need something to do with plums, we have two way too big trees in our yard 🙂 Oh and we love those cones at our house too, they’re the perfect size aren’t they?
Two trees? Lucky you! Enjoy.
I love your pictures! My mouth actually started watering whilst reading this. I’ve bookmarked the recipe, as soon as I get hold of some fresh juicy plums…
This looks fantastic! Joy the Baker’s always been a great source of inspiration for me too (no doubt to the detriment of my waistline)! Love the look of this sorbet — so fresh! Sadly, I’m without an ice cream maker at this stage — any suggestions for trying this without one? A churn in the stand mixer, perhaps?
You could try it as a granita. Or yes, partially freeze, then beat in the mixer or blender, then freeze again.
Sounds like an amazing combo! And with a little vodka in there — ole!
Look at that colour! Absolutely brilliant. Yet another pinned recipe from Simple Bites 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
It is recipes lime yours that make me want an ice cream machine. Until then, frozen banana nice cream is great. I would how this would taste with a hint of ginger. 🙂
This would be fantastic with ginger –or fresh cinnamon.
I love the gorgeous hue of this sorbet, and the addition of vodka is really smart. When I finally bust out my ice cream maker this summer, it’s sorbet rather than ice cream I’ll be making!
Jennifer, it’s August tomorrow! I think it is high time you break out that ice cream machine. 🙂
Oh sweet Clara! She looks so happy. My Clara has been enjoying homemade popsicles lately (basically just smoothies that we freeze instead of drink). I have a hoard of pluots right now and might need to try turning them into a sorbet if we don’t eat them all first. The color on this one is stunning!
This recipe looks wonderful! And here I was, wondering what to do with my blueberries leftovers, wanting to try something different. Thank you so much Aimee! 🙂
Scrumptious!!!!!!!
Hello Aimée,
Your recipe here sounds delicious… what can I do to make it so it comes out exactly like yours if I don’t have an ice cream maker?
Thank you,
Alejandra
This looks delicious…should the plums be peeled?
This looks delicious…should the plums be peeled?
Interesting combination I’ve never thought to use blueberry and plum together I’ll have to try it. I love the color!!!