Roasted Cherry Sorbet

2

lbs

fresh sweet cherries (such as Bing), stemmed and pitted

0.5

cup

granulated sugar

Generous pinch of kosher salt

3/4

cup

water

1

cups

possible additional sugar

1 to 2

Tbs

lime juice, or to taste

1

Heat oven to 400° F.

2

In a 9-x-13-inch roasting pan with sides, mix the pitted cherries with the half cup of sugar and a generous pinch of salt. Toss well to evenly coat.

3

Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the fruit has softened and its juices are bubbling and starting to thicken.

4

Add the water, then roast for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the juices start to bubble again. This step essentially creates a simple syrup in the pan.

5

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Transfer the cherries and all accumulated juices into the jar of a blender, and blend well.

6

Add lime juice to taste. Keep in mind that the freezer dulls sweet flavors, so aim for a base that tastes slightly too sweet before churning. You should have about 4 cups of purée. You SHOULD, but you won't. In real life you'll have about 1.5 cups of puree.

7

Strain the purée through a fine-mesh strainer, pushing gently down on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Scrape the underside of your strainer to get all of the purée. Straining is optional, though I find it worthwhile to get a smooth, velvety sorbet.

8

Measure the sugar percentage with a hydrometer. Add more sugar and more water, enough water to take the total volume up to about 2.5 cups, stirring vigorously, until the sugar percentage ("Brix%") is 27.5%

9

Cover and chill the purée until very cold, at least one hour or overnight.

10

Pour the chilled base into the ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer directions, or until the sorbet is thick.