Pineapple Sherbet

Creamy pineapple sherbet is a very tasty way to use up fresh pineapple. This frozen favorite uses only four ingredients, and you can make it in an ice cream maker instead of having to repeatedly stir a semi-frozen mass by hand. Sherbet is similar to ice cream but with more fruit and less dairy; it’s not the same as sorbet, which is fruit and water without any dairy. Adding heavy whipping cream makes the final mixture smooth and creamy, and it’s wonderful to have on a hot day when you want something frozen that isn’t too rich. Give this recipe a whirl the next time you want to try a cool new treat.

Pineapple Sherbet Ingredients

• Pineapple: Use fresh if you can. Frozen or thawed and canned fruit is too watery for use in this recipe.
• Sugar: Sugar helps sweeten and soften the sherbet.
• Lemon juice: Lemon juice will actually help enhance the flavor of the pineapple.
• Heavy whipping cream: This provides the fat that makes the sherbet creamy.

Directions

Step 1: Puree everything

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Combine the pineapple, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Puree the mixture until it’s smooth. Add the cream and puree again for one to two minutes. The mixture should be very smooth at this point. Refrigerate the mixture for one hour, until the puree is chilled.

Step 2: Freeze everything

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Pour enough of the mixture into the cylinder of an ice cream maker to fill the maker two-thirds full. Freeze the sherbet according to the ice cream maker’s manufacturer’s directions. When ready, divide the sherbet between freezer containers. Don’t fill the containers all the way because you need to leave headspace; the sherbet will expand a bit as it continues to freeze. Freeze for eight hours or overnight until the sherbet is firm.

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Pineapple Sherbet Variations

• Add basil: A common addition to pineapple sorbet (not sherbet) is basil, so try it in sherbet too. Blend about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of basil leaves with the rest of the ingredients during the puree stage, and freeze as directed.
• Make sherbet sandwiches: Take a couple of your favorite chewy sugar cookies, place a scoop of sherbet on one and press down on the sherbet with the other. Make a few of these, wrap them in freezer-safe wrap and store them for up to a week in the freezer.

How to Store Pineapple Sherbet

Use a freezer-safe plastic container with an airtight lid for the sherbet. Paper containers aren’t as good at protecting the sherbet from freezer burn.

How long does pineapple sherbet last?

The sherbet will be at its freshest for about one week. It will still be edible after that, but it will start to taste less fresh and may start to develop more of an icy texture as time goes on. Plan to eat all the sherbet within one month.

Pineapple Sherbet Tips

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Can you use a sugar substitute?

Sugar (along with the fat) is one of the ingredients that helps keep sherbet from freezing rock solid. It’s not advisable to use a sugar substitute. You might find commercially available sherbets that use sugar substitutes, but commercially produced sherbets and ice creams usually have additives that help soften the product. If you want a frozen dessert that uses less sugar, try this pineapple smoothies recipe.

Can you use milk or half-and-half instead of cream?

Some older sherbet recipes use milk instead of cream, so it’s possible to make sherbet with milk. However, these recipes have a higher amount of sugar, which helps with keeping the sherbet a little softer. Some also use sweetened condensed milk, like this orange soda sherbet recipe. But without the extra fat that heavy whipping cream provides, this particular pineapple sherbet will be less creamy. And in this recipe, the low amount of sugar and high amount of juicy pineapple pulp increase the risk that the final sherbet will not only be less creamy but also be too icy. You can always experiment, of course, and make the recipe as directed with half-and-half, and then again with whole milk. That will let you see how the reduction in fat affects the creaminess. One thing you should not do is make the recipe with low-fat or skim milk. The resulting sherbet will be much too icy and not creamy at all if you use those options.

How do you make the sherbet less icy?

Too much ice in sherbet usually has the same causes as too much ice in ice cream: too much water and too little fat, as previously discussed. It may be that the pineapple you pureed was so juicy that there was a little too much juice in the recipe. It may also be that the dairy you used didn’t have enough fat. It could be that you had both too much juice and too little fat simultaneously. This is also why ice cream recipes tend to use cream and whole milk, rather than skim milk; the lack of fat allows the liquid in the recipe to turn into watery slush. Make the recipe as instructed with heavy whipping cream, and when you cut the pineapple, place it in a strainer for a few minutes to let excess juice drip off.