A Cold, Fruity Treat
Posted at 5:46 am on August 17, 2009 by Farrah
This next post in our series on Feeding our Family is courtesy of Rita from Timber Creek Organics. If there is a specific idea or post topic you would like to read about as part of this series, e-mail us at dupagemamas(at)gmail(dot)com.
Oh My Goodness!! Is it ever HOT outside!! Let’s make something ICE COLD to eat. I have made Fruit Sorbet/Italian Ice/Granita since forever. When my children were young, I’d pour a bottle of natural juice into a bowl and set it in the freezer. Every few hours I’d take it out, break it into chunks and run it through the food processor. Then I’d put it back in the freezer and do it again two hours later. it was always ready at the end of the day.
Before I had a food processor, I’d just blend fresh fruits together in my blender, add simple syrup to taste, then pour the mixture into a shallow glass baking dish, and put that into the freezer. Every few hours I’d take it out and scrape it with a fork to keep it from freezing into a solid block.
I always served this as the fruit course with dinner when the weather was this hot. My children LOVED it!
You can make Fruit Sorbet out of almost anything. If you don’t have kumquats or white peaches – no worries! Substitute mangos, cherries, oranges, pineapple, lemons- whatever fruit you have and sounds good. Below the video, I’ll share even more fruit ice ideas and tricks.
Here are some other things to consider:
Amounts don’t matter – proportions DO. So, after you’ve tasted the fruit mixture and you’re happy with the balance of flavors, add the simple syrup to taste, then freeze in the way that works best for you.
Don’t be afraid to add fresh herbs! Really! Lemon Ice with a little mint or rosemary is really, really good! Strawberry Ice is good with rosemary, too. Pineapple ice is good with basil, not kidding! Just don’t go crazy with the herbs – a little goes a long, long way.
Here’s another freezing trick: Make sure the fruit you’re using is chilled well. Put it into a blender with sugar to taste and ice cubes, and grind everything until the texture is like a slushie. Then put into the freezer and freeze overnight.
So – if you have fruit that really needs to be used up, put them into your processor bowl or blender. It’s SO EASY and your family will LOVE YOU FOR IT!
And finally – for the big kids - after you’ve put a serving of fruit ice into your ice cream dish, NOW is the time to add that vodka, Grand Marnier, or even a little rum on that pineapple. For an extra-special presentation, add herb leaves, zested lemon or orange or any other thinly sliced fruit to dress it up.
Thank you so much Rita!! I can’t wait to try making my own fruit ice this week. Do you have a recipe or other tip for beating the heat? We’d love it if you would share! 
**Also, if you would love to get some amazing fresh, organic fruit delivered right to your door, you gotta check out Timber Creek Farms. They will deliver the most amazing produce to your door as frequently as you want and for a very reasonable price. We use them and love them and would recommend them to anyone who is trying to feed their family the healthiest food possible (and yet stay true to their budget too). And as a special gift to Dupage Mamas and our readers, they are holding a drawing for a FREE box of produce. Yes, FREE!!! They will draw one winner every month and all you have to do is visit their website and register to win. So go check it out, and tell ‘em we sent ya,!! **
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