How to make sorbet

With origins in ancient Persia ("sorbet" is derived from the Arabic "sharbat", a fruit-based drink) this sweet frozen dessert eventually made its way to France and Italy. The key when making fruit sorbet is to capture the essence of the fruit, by choosing ones that are ripe and fragrant and at their peak. Summer is the perfect time to experiment – there's plenty of fruit in season to play with, from sweet mango sorbet and tangy lemon sorbet to fragrant peach sorbet, plum sorbet and strawberry sorbet as we cite in our easy sorbet recipe below. Plus, a bowl of sorbet is always welcome on a hot summer day.

Balancing the quantities of sugar and water is essential, too: if there's too much sugar, the sorbet will be too soft and sweet; too much water and it will freeze solid. This recipe ensures the correct density of sugar syrup and purée, ready to churn, freeze, scoop and serve

It's super easy to make your own sorbet at home, and so much more rewarding than hitting up the local ice-cream parlour.

Here's how to make sorbet this summer.

Step 1. For peach or plum sorbet, cut fruit in half and discard stones.

Step 2. For all flavours, combine fruit with remaining ingredients in a large saucepan.

Step 3. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until fruit is softened (5-10 minutes), then cool briefly.

Step 4. Purée fruit mixture in a blender, then pass through a fine sieve.

Step 5. Churn purée in an ice-cream machine in batches, according to machine instructions, until a soft sorbet consistency forms, then transfer to a chilled container and freeze until firm (1-2 hours). For best results, churn sorbet around 2 hours before serving, so it's ready to go in the freezer ahead of time. If it gets too firm, soften it in the refrigerator a little.

Why stop there? Apricots make great sorbet, too. Follow the same recipe as above, adjusting as follows: for apricot sorbet, use 300gm caster sugar, 85gm liquid glucose and 285ml water.

When it comes to flavour combinations in sorbet recipes, keep it simple and look to classic desserts for inspiration. Peaches and apricots work well with vanilla, while honeydew melon and pineapple are perfect matches for lemon verbena. Lime juice brings out the natural sweetness of mango, and classic citrus fruits are complemented by makrut lime and lemongrass. Or, for a boozy kick, try adding a little of the spicy, herbal liqueur, Chartreuse, to strawberry purée - but not too much or it won't freeze.