Mango Sorbet

Some people think of sorbet as little more than a palate cleanser to be served between courses at a fancy meal. Those people have not had this mango sorbet, which deserves the spotlight all to itself. This is no palate cleanser preparing your mouth for its next morsel—this is your new go-to dessert.

Perhaps the best thing about this sweet, surprisingly complex frozen treat is that making it is refreshingly easy, so if you’ve ever wondered how to make mango sorbet, you’ll know within about two minutes. Also, it’s a great way to sneak some fruit into the diet of kids who are picky eaters, as mangoes are the main event here. Now, let’s get chopping, blending and freezing so we can start enjoying.

Mango Sorbet Ingredients

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• Mangoes: Freshly peeled and chopped mangoes are your best bet here—just make sure they’re good and ripe. You can use pre-chopped store-bought mangoes if need be, or you can thaw frozen mango chunks as a last resort.
• Sugar: It may be tempting to pare back on the sugar, but it will affect the flavor profile, so that’s not recommended. This is a sweet treat, so let it be so!
• Water: Make sure the water you use is good and cold. It doesn’t need to be icy or anything, just cooler than room temperature.
• Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice will taste the best, but store-bought lemon juice is certainly better than no lemon juice at all.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the water and mangoes

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Add the mango chunks and chilled water to a blender, cover it and process the fruit and water until the mixture is smooth. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender a time or two.

Step 2: Add the sugar and lemon juice

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Pour in the lemon juice and sugar, re-cover the blender and process all the ingredients until they’re fully combined and the sugar has dissolved.

Step 3: Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container

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Scoop the mango blend out of the blender into a freezer-safe container, then pop it into the freezer.

Step 4: Stir and churn the sorbet as it freezes

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It will take three to four hours for the sorbet to freeze fully, and about every 20 to 30 minutes during that process, you need to thoroughly stir the mixture. This will lead to the creamy texture you love in a good sorbet instead of rendering an ice block of mango. If you have a dedicated ice cream machine, use it and follow its manufacturer’s directions.

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Mango Lemon Sorbet Variations

• Add or substitute peaches: Don’t have enough mangoes on hand to make a full 3 cups? No problem—you can supplement the recipe using peach chunks. And in fact, you can make this exact same recipe with all peaches and no mangoes, as all the steps of the mango sorbet recipe transfer. Just remember to call it peach sorbet in that case!
• Use Meyer lemons and up the juice: If you want a mango lemon sorbet that’s a bit more tart, use Meyer lemons for the juice and double or even triple the amount of lemon juice you use.

How long can you store mango sorbet?

Mango lemon sorbet will remain safe to eat for many months, as long as it’s kept in the freezer, but it won’t retain its creamy texture for nearly that long. Homemade mango lemon sorbet is best eaten within a month of its creation, and it should taste great throughout that time.

Mango Sorbet Tips

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How do I tell if my mangoes are ripe?

There are a few ways to tell if a mango is ripe. First, the green color will change to a mix of orange and/or red hues, though it need not change all over. Second, the mango will have a sweet scent detectable where the stem was. And third, it will have a bit of give when squeezed, rather than being firm. If it feels mushy, it is overripe and likely no good. (Here’s our guide to fruits that keep ripening after you get them home.)

How do I make my sorbet creamier?

If your mango lemon sorbet came out more like mango lemon ice, don’t worry! It’s safe to let the sorbet melt until it’s soft enough to be stirred thoroughly and then re-frozen, and this process usually adds a creamier texture. Don’t try the same with dairy-based ice creams, of course!

How do I quickly peel peaches?

If you’re supplementing this mango lemon sorbet recipe with peaches (or you’re simply making a peach sorbet), you can quickly remove the skins from the peaches by dropping them into boiling water for a few seconds, retrieving them with a slotted spoon, then sloughing off the skins.