Lemon Sorbet

My husband and I made a large batch of this sorbet. We don't have a ice cream maker, but it turned out great. The only thing we will change next time is to zest the lemon peel. Our batch turned out a little bitter, and the finely diced peel was a little too chunky for our taste. But overall, it was quite good.

This turned out really great. I used lime flavored carbonated water and strained out the lemon zest. It doesn't make a whole lot, you may want to double the recipe.

I thought the original recipe was way to sweet. I doubled the amount of carbonated water to 1 cup and it was just right. Other than that it was very good. Nice and lemony.

Fantastic! I took everyones reviews to heart - used zest of lemon, used sparking lime water, and added raspberries! Added the raspberries half frozen still, tossed them with sugar, and my own addition - some balsamic vinegar - and added to lemon mixture creating its own ice bath. Tossed in ice cream maker and the results were out of this world! The touch of balsamic vinegar added a great depth of flavor and the fresh lemon juice and raspberries with lime water created such a fantastic flavor! Thanks for everyones input!

Fantastic recipe. I used lemon zest and not the peel like other reviewers. I also added 2 egg whites to the original recipe to make it light & fluffy. It adds volume so you will have more servings, as well. Just beat 2 egg whites until light peaks form and then whisk them into the syrup/lemon juice/mineral water mixture. I then poured the mixture into my ice cream maker and allowed it to mix for about 25 minutes. I still had to freeze it for at least 4 hours. My ice cream maker didn't harden it enough to sorbet consistency. But once it was frozen...it was awesome!

Fabulous. I thawed, processed, and strained a bag of frozen raspberries and added it to the mixture before freezing. Tasted like raspberry lemonade!

I was making this to be used in a sgroppino so I couldn't use SophiaBenincasa's suggestions of raspberries soaked in balsamic but I surely will give it a try...sounds intriguing! I too used zest, used 7up & increased it to one cup, decreasing the water. After 20 minutes in my ice maker, I added a bit of citron vodka (couple of tbp...maybe 3) The alchohol content keeps the sorbet from freezing roch kard once you place it in the freezer (I hate that!). Thansk FLASHDANCE16...this was very enjoyable!

I got rave reviews from my guests with the all-natural recipe. I did make a couple of changes: #1) Instead of water and carbonated mineral water I used green-tea instead. #2) Instead of 1/2 cup sugar, I used 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey. #3) I also added 1 TBL candied ginger. Next time I will try grated gingerroot. ENJOY! Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe.

Excellent and truly refreshing! I used Lime seltzer water and it was perfect. The fizz gives it a nice kick to the palate. I definite must for the summer!

Zest the lemon, don't dice the peel. It has a great texture! Tastes great!

Adictive! I made the recipe as written, adding only a couple tablespoons of good vodka (as I most always do to ummm...keep it from getting to frozen. Yeah, that's why!). My guests raved about it. The only (and I mean *only* criticism I got was that one person thought it might be even better if I left out the diced zest. I disagree.

An awesome light summer dessert,I added a little less sugar and used club soda, which I increased by 1/4 c, served it with a simple rasberry sauce using 2 c fresh rasberries, 1/4 c sugar, 1/4 c water and 1 tablespoon of chambord, garnished with fresh mint leaves,very pretty presentation..

Works very well, tastes great, a touch on the sweet side, could add a little more water to it. I also used lime sparkling water. Using 3 large lemons yields roughly 1/2 cup of juice and you get the pulp which adds to the homemade taste/feel.

Tangy and refreshing! I zested the lemon as others suggested, but otherwise followed the recipe. The only change I would make in the future is to double the recipe. I put the mixture in my 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker and would need more of the sorbet mixture for a good churning motion.

Using the diced peel of one lemon is too much...think about 1/4 would work fine. This sorbet was OK, but not spectacular. I don't know if it was the carbonated mineral water or substituting Splenda for the sugar, but the texture of this turned out strange, kind of like picking up a handful of very light snow, not at all compact. I doubt that I'll make this again, but if I did, I think I'd increase the sweetener.

I would suggest doubling the recipe if you are using an ice cream maker. Very flavorful. I zested the lemon instead of dicing the rind. Rinds don't taste good and I think it gave it a better texture. Eat relatively quick because it will freeze hard if in the freezer overnight.

Tangy and refreshing! I zested the lemon as others suggested, but otherwise followed the recipe. The only change I would make in the future is to double the recipe. I put the mixture in my 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker and would need more of the sorbet mixture for a good churning motion.

The flavor of this reminds me of a sweet tart. Pretty sweet and tart at the same time, but in a good way. I actually made this lemon lime flavored using half of each, and used Waist Watchers diet citrus soda. I only zested the lemon and lime, I didn't use the peel. I think that would have been way too bitter. I like it, and would make it again but will play with the flavors including the sugar (maybe add a little less) and soda flavors. I added about 1.5 tbsp vodka and it makes a huge difference in the texture. Made it yesterday and it's still a sorbet texture today. For those worried about kids eating it, vodka is about the same alcohol content (proof) as vanilla extract, so if you use vanilla extract in your food, the vodka shouldn't worry you too much. You really can't taste it either. In any case this was a nice, light little end to a heavy dinner. Glad I made it. Thanks Flashdance!

VERY BITTER! I strained the chopped peel and the sorbet was still bitter! It was bitter not sour like lemons are suppose to be. I suggest to anyone making this to only zest the peel, do not chop it.

MMMMMM! I made this for my family while we were on vacation in Florida, and we all LOVED it! Even my "picky eater" teenage son gobbled it up! Super easy, super tasty, and super guilt-free refreshing dessert. Thanks so much for posting this recipe! Not sure why the cook time says "1 day, 1 hour" - I made this in the afternoon, put it in the freezer, took it out and whipped it about once per hour, and served it about 7 p.m.

This is the best lemon sorbet recipe i have come across, ever! The flavore is very lemony with a great balance of tartness and not-too-sweet. The carbonated water gives it a perfect consistency, not too icy, and very light. I think i might try it next time with some mint leaves minced up in it too. yummy!

Doubled the recipe and chilled it in a Cusinart ice cream maker with outstanding results. The sorbet was tart and refreshing. The perfect end to a rather rich meal. Instead of dicing the lemon peel, I used a citrus zester. The zest of 5 lemons seems to be about right for a doubled recipe. I suspect those complaining about bitterness simply peeled a lemon and added it all, including the bitter white pith to the syrup.

Thank you for posting an alternative way to freeze sorbet ~ didn't have an ice cream maker & it turned out swell.

My boyfriend (who is not really a dessert guy) loves this sorbet! It is very refreshing and tart. Here are a few tips that I found online for making sure the sorbet comes out a nice consistency: if you are using an ice cream maker, lower the temperature of the freezer to its lowest setting to get the metal canister as cold as possible; once you've made the mix, store it in the freezer in a metal, glass, or plastic container covered with tinfoil for about an hour (or until frost forms on the sides of the container); add the semi-frozen mix to the canister and stir for about 10 minutes. The sorbet should be stored in a separate container if you're not going to eat it right away.

This sorbet was surprisingly good after a few adjustments. Instead of tonic water or club soda I used canned lemonade. Instead of only fresh lemon juice I added orange juice too, to make less bitter. I also took out some of the diced lemon peel because it was all on the bottom!

Tangy and refreshing! I zested the lemon as others suggested, but otherwise followed the recipe. The only change I would make in the future is to double the recipe. I put the mixture in my 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker and would need more of the sorbet mixture for a good churning motion.

I used limes instead of lemons mainly because we didn't have any lemons on hand, it still worked out fine. Just if you double it or anything, make sure you don't freeze all of it at the same time, because it takes a looooong time to freeze when there is more of it. I just put it in two containers. It was also kind of bitter...

This was simple and tasty. I would recommend straining the lemon peel out before you freeze it, unless you like something to chew on when you are eating the ice cream.

This is a very nice, lemony recipe. It's great for a hot day but it is not sweet. If you're looking for something like frozen lemonade, you'll need more sugar. Otherwise, it's very yummy.

I thought it was great. maybe next I might add a mint leaf. do whatever you want because it leaves room for creative input!!!

This was pretty disappointing. The only change I made was in cooling the sorbet in a martini shaker in the freezer, but the consistency was not effected. My problem with this recipe is that it is somehow both way too sweet and way too bitter--I would cut down on the sugar and simply zest the lemon instead of dicing the peel. I used grapefruit-flavored mineral water, which added a nice little kick, but the peel and the sugar were overwhelming

I followed other reviewers and grated the peel instead of chopping it up. One thing I noticed is that when I used my ice cream maker to make this it took almost no time for it to start freezing up so I just want to warn you to keep an eye on it more closely. Next time I'm making this I'm going to add (as others have suggested) a little bit of alcohol because that keeps it from becoming too icy and hard. Some parts of the sorbet were almost rock solid, but still tasty nevertheless.

I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could. I wanted to make a healthier dessert and had some lemons to use up so figured this looked like a good recipe. I think I would have liked it more if I had an ice cream maker, but without it, it is really more of a shaved ice consistency (I whisked every hour as advised). I also didn't care for the lemon peel in it and found it to be really sweet. My husband took one bite and asked if he had to eat it. Thanks anyways for the recipe.

too sweet and watery, but has great lemon flavor. We were looking for something that tastes like a frozen lemon.

Delicious and easy. I grated the lemon zest, and since I didn't have any soda water, I substituted 1/4 cup beer and 1/4 cup water, and the taste was outstanding. The little bit of alcohol gave it a real kick. This is definitely a keeper.

I bought a bag of lemons the other day and have been looking for ways to use them. I came across this recipe which sounded light and good and I'm glad I tried it. As per other reviewer's suggestions, I zested the lemon peel. I used club soda for the mineral water - the carbonation really adds a great element to it. Lastly, I used splenda instead of sugar with surprisingly great results. As other peole have said, you basically have to eat it as soon as you make because if you freeze it, it becomes a ball of ice. I actually don't mind that - I just broke it up into small lemon ice chips and it's a great snack with virtually no calories. Try it!

I absolutely love this sorbet! I used lemon zest instead of peel and tonic instead of mineral water, and the taste is wonderful. I don't have an ice-cream maker and I did not bother with making it fluffy, mixed it a couple of times in the process of freezing, so it looks more like a huge ice cube, but the flavour! oh the flavour! :-) Thanks, Flashdance16, this will keep me through the summer!

Mmmmm.... made this in the middle of winter but still loved it! It is tart, but it was quite refreshing.

Fantastically delicious, natural and refreshing. I used finely grated lemon zest instead of the diced peel, being careful not to include any of the white pith. I've made this recipe a few times and would caution against reducing the amount of sugar. Even reducing it a little bit causes the sorbet to freeze too hard, causing your guests to have to "chip away" at their dessert. :-( Also, I would say this makes 6 small 'palate-cleansing' servings but only 4 decent sized dessert servings. I use a Cuisinart ice-cream maker and the results have been great. I LOVE this sorbet -- will make it again and again!

Very easy and good - I doubled the recipe, used lemon zest and 3/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 limeade. I also added 1 T vodka to the stovetop part to try to make it not so solid ice, and it seemed to make a difference. Will make it again when I have extra lemons.

It was very sour at first but the more I ate it, the more I enjoyed it. This recipe served 6 people, but can make up to 8 small servings because it is very tangy. I grated the lemon peel with the smallest holes on my grater. I poured the mixture into a glass bowl with a lid and froze it, mixing it every hour. Took about 5-6 hours for it to form into a sorbet consistency. I served it with a sweet raspberry reduction (simmer fresh raspberries with sugar).

I loved this recipe! I'm a lemon fanatic. This turned out so smooth and the flavor was just amazing!

I don't have an ice-cream maker and once you get passed the regular mixing-up while freezing, it turns out great. Mine had a more "crumbly" texture than other sorbets probably because of the freezing method I was using, but the flavour was good. Next time I would try a little more lemon zest for a bit more punch.

This is horrible for anyone that likes sweet. I did this and aside from it coming out like shaved ice because i didn't have an ice cream maker it also came out extremely bitter and tart, I couldn't handle it and think i will throw it all out i wasted a lot of lemons on this. If you love lemonade that doesn't have sugar then i guess you'll love this, but to me it's very gross.

excellent. I can't wait to have this on a hot summer day. It was very refreshing and tart!

This was so yummy! It tasted just like a good frozen lemonade. As other reviewers suggested, I used the lime flavored water. Next time I will probably add some raspberries too! Great recipe.

Wonderful! I zested 2 lemons in place of the diced peel, and used Vintage lemon-lime seltzer for the carbonated water. I chilled the mixture for about 4 hours in the fridge prior to putting it into my ice cream maker. We scooped it directly from the maker into dessert glasses. Perfect texture and flavor. the only thing I'll change next time is I'll double the recipe.

Very delicious! I cooled my syrup in the fridge overnight before I put it in the ice cream maker and I think that helped with the bitterness. Cool and refreshing, yum! Oh and I cheated and used splenda.

Was a little hard... leave ice cream maker on for longer.

This was pretty good, but it turned out more of a slushy ice mix than sorbet. Next time, I would zest the lemon instead of dicing it because it was pretty chunky. I liked how lemony it was though.

This was easily the best lemon sorbet i have ever made. My kids compared the taste to homemade lemonade or ice blocks we have here in Australia called Calippo.I tend to agree with them...will definately be making this again!

I made this for a special Murder Mystery dinner as pallet cleaner between courses. All suspects/guest loved it and wanted more! Will make this again as real dessert!

I followed the recipe exactly and we thought it was delicious. It tasted just like those frozen lemonades you can buy at ballparks. My only complaint was that I don't see how it makes 6 servings- they must be tiny servings! Next time I will double or triple the recipe.

This recipe calls for "finely diced lemon peels" I did as it called for and it was awful! The peels made the sorbet too bitter and we couldn't even eat it! The flavor was lovely before you bit in to a peel, so I think I'd like to redo it with lemon zest, or let it sit so the peels give out their flavor, but take them out before freezing.

Good, not great. Cut way back on the lemon zest.

This was pretty good. It was very light and refreshing but not a WOW. I did not read the directions and brought it to school to make without first cooking the syrup. The sugar sat in lemon juice over night and it was fine. I also forgot to look to see how many this served and was disappointed because it made very little. I would say it served 4. Everyone only got a couple of spoonfuls to try it. It is kind of like a frozen lemon shake up.

Loved this!!! There is sooo much flavor!!!

delicious, nice sharp and refreshing and so easy

Absolutely delicious! I just bought my first ice cream/yogart/sorbet machine yesterday. I made your recipe and it turned out perfect. The recipes in the book that came with the machine contain way too much sugar. Your recipe is much better. We are having friends over tonight for dinner and I can't wait for them to try my dessert. Thank you very much Flashdance 16.

With our ice cream maker, the sorbet was ready to eat after 15 minutes of freezing. It was delicious! We used Perrier instead of mineral water. For the lemon peel and juice, we used only the zest and the juice of two lemons. So yummy! Next time we're going to double the recipe.

Very good! Bf told me it was a bit sour but when I asked if it was a bad thing he told me it was fine. I didn't use diced lemon peel--I used my microplane grater and grated the heck out of the lemon. :o) I do have an ice cream maker and while it didn't appear the same as normal ice cream, it kind of got slushy, then it froze well enough, although I had a hard time scooping it. Perhaps I just need it taken out for several minutes before scooping; I'll try again. Regardless, it has wonderful flavor. Thanks for the recipe!

This was very good...and in the ice cream maker went very quickly. The only thing I would change/alter is the lemon peel. You have to not only have it finely diced but EXTRA finely diced. When making it again I would maybe zest it or strain it out of the syrup mixture. Otherwise it was really excellent. I might like it more tart but my family loved it like this. (minus the bits of peel)

We all really enjoyed the refreshing flavor, and it was a wonderfully light dessert after grilled steak dinner. The consistency is like a shaved ice, and I made it in my ice cream maker. I used carbonated lime flavored water instead of mineral water, and I'm wondering if that had any impact on the texture. Planned to reduce the sugar as the lime water was sweetened, but I forgot to and it tasted fine.

Just made it today and it is AWESOME. I made it with Splenda instead of sugar, used zest and used lime-flavored carbonated water. It was quite tart, so I may increase the Splenda next time. However, I had it with a cracker with apple slices on it and it was a really good combination because the apples added some additional sweetness. Definitely will make again.

My husband made this yesterday. He used fresh lemon zest instead of dicing the peel and put it in the freezer since we don't have an ice cream maker. We loved the balance of sweet/tart, but it never did set correctly. It reminded me of a lemon ice you would get at a baseball game and was a nice finish to a heavy, italian meal.

Great recipe. I too added a little more carbonated water. I wish I had read the reviews on the zest vs peel, but I wound up kind of zesting it with a sharp knife, and I minced instead of diced. I figured that if the recipe called for diced peel & I did this it would be fine. But it was way to much stuff to nibble - and I even took 3/4 of it out! Taste was great, though.

PERFECT taste.

So good and refreshing!

I LOOOOVED this!! I tried italian gelato ice cream and sorbet and decided to try to make it myself. This is a great recipe and definately impressed my date!=)The carbonated water made all the difference =) I served mine with strawberry frozen yoghurt and fresh strawberries and cherries <3 5 stars x

Very refreshing! I used ginger ale as carbonated water isn't something typically found our kitchen. I found that it needed about an extra half cup of water because it was too sweet (most likely from the extra sugar in the ginger ale). Like other users have said, I used the lemon zest instead of the peal but when eating the sorbet, the texture just doesn't seem right to me. Next time, I will omit the peal / zest.

The only tweaking I did was use 2 tablespoons lemon cello instead of the vodka others recommend because the lemons that were used were very juicy but the rine didn't look thick enough to zest. I put it in the ice cream maker for an hour and wow I will be making this again real soon. I served it with a lemon blueberry cake and triple berry compote. Very refreshing and easy to make.

As a general rule I'm not a fan of lemon-flavored stuff. I made this for my boyfriend, who loves lemon sorbet. Even I liked it! I didn't find it bitter at all, it was just the right mix of sweet and tart. We didn't freeze it quite long enough before serving so it was kind of more like a lemon slushee, but it still tasted great. Next time I think I'll serve with raspberries to add a bit of color and a complementary flavor.

I did not care for this recipe. It was far too bitter (Due to the finely chopped Lemon Peel).

Light, sweet, tart, and very refreshing. Thank you!

I made limoncello recently and saved and froze all the pieces of lemon rind already infused with sugar and vodka, used it for the lemon sorbet, and it came out great. I did use my ice cream maker and how refreshing.( I hate to throw anything away if I can find a use to recycle for another recipe, and this really came in handy. FYI I also put pieces of the rind in ice cube trays for a nice flavored ice cube in any drink(adults only)

Great basic recipe, but needed a few adjustments. I used lime instead of lemon because I had them on hand, and tried the suggestion of another reviewer of adding whipped egg whites prior to freezing. This made the result nice and airy. I did not use the whole peel, zest only to keep sorbet from getting bitter. Good proportions, nice balance of sweet and sour!

The lemon flavor here is delicious. It is very sweet and I added more of the carbonated lemon water (so good) and it was still sweet enough for me + I had more. My sorbet didn't look opaque like the picture, but was more icy. Still, it was like much-better-than-usual frozen lemonade. My 2 boys loved it too.

Amazing!!! Yum, so fresh and easy.

I used lemon zest instead of peels and ginger ale instead of sparkling mineral water. WOW !! Will definitely make this again.

My husband and I made the dish together. We didn't care for the addition of the lemon peel is. The lemon peel imparted a bitter taste although my husband was careful to cut the peel only and leave behind as much pith as possible. The lemon peel was chopped very finely, nonetheless, the texture was unpleasant.

I also strained out the lemon peel like one user suggested. I would recommend doubling the recipe as well. I used frozen juice from Meyer lemons I had juiced about a month prior. It was fabulous! I would never have thought to use the mineral water but I think it helped. I served it with fresh berries and it was a hit at my dinner party.

very good and easy. I mixed the ingredients, froze them and put them in my Vitamix--made it even easier.

Beautiful

Loved this recipe. I followed the advice of others and zested the lemon instead of dicing it. Also used lime carbonated water. Came out with a nice, slushy consistency. I doubled this recipe, because we were feeding 7 people. It portioned out about 1/3 cup for each person, with a portion left over for me to have as a late night snack. :) Taste was sweet yet tart, as it should be. It was very easy to make. Will definitely make again!

I did use lemon zest instead of the peel and I strained it out of the syrup after taking off the stove. The flavor was very good. nice smooth lemon flavor, not overpowering. The texture however was a little off. It may have been that my carbonated water wasn't brand new and may have been a little flat. Not sure. At any rate the texture was like dry snow. I would have preferred it to be a bit more dense. I will try it again and see if it changes. At this point the recipe is ok, not great though due to texture.

Tart and tasty.

This was ideal to make for a gluten and dairy free friend. I forgot to add the mineral water but put it in my ice cream freezer while churning and it was great. I also used the egg whites and tested the lemons.

This was okay. It was too tart and too sweet for me. I was hoping this would be like a frozen lemonade but it was less of that and more of lemon snow.

This looks like it will work as a base for a variety of things. I am going to try it in my Zoku.

Worked well, it was a bit icy but I would make this again.

For my taste it was perfection. It was very tart which is exactly the way I like it

Perfect recipe as is.

I made this for a dinner party last night and everyone loved it. It was fairly simple without an ice cream maker, but you have to commit to whipping it every hour, and more often towards the end, for several hours.

I love all things lemon! I strained the zest out after making the syrup though, and used my food processor to whip up the sorbet instead of a whisk.

Taste was great, the consistency wasnt as I had hoped, it was my fault though because I dont have an ice cream maker and you have to make sure you stir every hour. It makes for a great shaved ice.

It has a wonderful flavour but the pieces of lemon peel are off putting. I chopped the lemon peel in my food processor to assure the pieces were tiny but they weren’t small enough. The sorbet melt and leaves lemon peel behind. Next time I’ll make it with the zest of a lemon rather than the peel.

Simple, easy & good. I used celestial seasonings blueberry green tea instead of the sparking water (since there was none on hand), and it was awesome.

easy to make and tastes amazing. I added a juiced pomegranate to mine as as well as some pomegranate seeds. It gives it a pretty pink color .

Wow! Light, fresh, and bursting with flavor. For lemon lovers only! I served ours with a float of citron vodka - even better. Perfect for a hot summer night.