Kiwi Lime Sorbet

When I was little I was allergic to kiwis. Or at least that’s what my mom and I decided. Every time I’d eat one, my mouth would get all tingly and scratchy. So you’d think I’d just not eat kiwis. But time and time again when my mom cut up kiwi slices, I ate them because I loved the taste. And sadly, my mouth would start to tingle and I’d immediately have to stop eating them.

Flash forward to last week when I was recipe hunting. I was gawking through these amazing and bright sorbets on Pinterest, and I knew just then that I wanted to make sorbet. Kiwi sorbet. Kiwi Lime Sorbet. Because look at that color! As I was cutting up the kiwis for my sorbet, I carefully tasted one and waited for the familiar tingle. I waited… Nothing.

I took another bite. Waiting, waiting…

No tingle. No reaction. I got so excited I almost called my mom to tell her the news: I’m not allergic to kiwis anymore!

During this photoshoot, I could not stop eating the kiwi lime sorbet. It was a taste I had longed to enjoy for years, and now I finally could. The sorbet was light, refreshing, and bursting with flavor. The lime adds a hint of acidity without being overwhelmingly lime-y (notes on that in the recipe), and complements the kiwi perfectly. And again, the COLOR. If that doesn’t scream summer to you I don’t know what does.

scoop of Kiwi Lime Sorbet in white dish

What’s in sorbet?

Sorbet is arguably the easiest frozen dessert ever. Traditionally, sorbet is a simple combination of pureed fruit, water, and sugar that’s been blended together and frozen. Like, how could it get any easier than that? This kiwi lime sorbet uses only fresh kiwis, lime juice, and some sugar. I opted to skip the water since the lime juice adds as much liquid as this recipe needs.

Kiwi Lime Sorbet in loaf pan

Tips on making kiwi lime sorbet

Use fresh lime juice — For the freshest, tangiest flavor, you really should use juice from freshly squeezed limes and not the bottled stuff. For an extra punch of lime flavor, you could even add the zest of the limes as well.

Don’t over mix the kiwi — Fresh kiwis are typically fairly soft, so you don’t need to pulse them too much in the blender. If you over mix the kiwis, you’ll wind up crushing the seeds, which will make your kiwi lime sorbet slightly gritty.

Scale back the sugar, as needed — If you’re using really ripe, in-seaon kiwis, you may not need as much sugar as this recipe calls for. Feel free to taste the sorbet mixture and add more or less sugar as needed.

Use an ice cream machine — If you don’t churn the homemade sorbet in an ice cream machine, it won’t be creamy once frozen and it’ll be impossible to scoop properly.

Kiwi Lime Sorbet

I see a lot of kiwis in my future. So enjoy, friends.

Little update: I’ve been taking graduation photos all week for Michigan grads and I’m loving it. I forgot how much I enjoy shooting people. Being around food comes with its own perks, but there’s something about photographing others that is so satisfying. And thank goodness the weather has held up enough to go outside without coats on — 65° is the new 80°!

Author: Sarah Fennel
Yield: 1 pint sorbet

Kiwi Lime Sorbet

4.5 from 4 reviews

Print Recipe

Author: Sarah Fennel
Yield: 1 pint sorbet

Units:

Ingredients

10 kiwis
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lime juice*

Instructions

Cut kiwis in half and remove skins (I used a large spoon to scoop them out). Place in blender and pulse 3-4 times; enough for everything to do a once around on the mixing blade. Pour in sugar and lime juice and pulse 6-8 more times, until the kiwis liquify and no chunks remain. Do not over mix, or you will break the kiwi seeds.
Pour mixture into a plastic bag and seal, removing any air from inside the bag. Allow to chill in freezer for at least 45 minutes.
Once chilled, churn your sorbet in an ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop into freezer-proof container and allow to chill for at least 4 more hours, preferably overnight.