Peach Sorbet with Ginger

This refreshing, homemade Peach Sorbet is made with ripe yellow peaches, sweetened with a zingy ginger simple syrup. The easy peach sorbet recipe is a great way to beat the temps on hot summer days. With its simple ingredients, you can wow your family and friends with this perfect summer treat in no time.

*This revised recipe is based on a blueberry peach sorbet recipe I published in May 2019. I removed the fruit juice and blueberries from the original recipe and updated the images and article.*

What Is A Peach?

Peaches are round fruits with a juicy, sometimes acidic, sweet flesh. Peach flesh ranges in color from white to a deep orange-yellow. The lighter the peach’s flesh, the sweeter the fruit tastes. Yellow peaches are prized for the flavor they contribute to peach cobbler, cake, and peach pie. 

There are three varieties of peaches: clingstone, semi-freestone, and freestone. Each type of peach refers to how the pit inside the fruit adheres to the pit inside. Clingstone peaches are generally better to bake with because their flesh is firmer. Freestone peaches are great for eating alone or for making recipes like this peach sorbet.

When shopping for the peaches for this recipe, select yellow-orange ripe peaches that are heavy for their size and give off a sweet aroma. Softer fruits are fine if you plan to make this sorbet recipe within a day or two of purchasing them. Avoid hard peaches with green or wrinkled skin or dark blemishes.

What Is Sorbet?

Sorbets, also called water ice or fruit ice, are frozen desserts made from fruit purees or fruit juice. You can make fruit sorbets or even vegetable sorbets, depending on how sweet the star of the show is. Because they are light and refreshing, sorbets often serve as a palate-cleansing first course or between courses. Homemade sorbet differs from homemade ice cream because it contains no dairy. Some commercial sorbets contain egg whites to give the sorbet body. 

You can make great sorbets with frozen or canned fruits, but you achieve the best results using fresh fruit. The fruit puree-to-sugar ratio is an important factor to keep in mind when making homemade sorbet. Using too much sugar can result in a sorbet that is too soft. If you use too little sugar, the texture of the sorbet will be too hard. 

What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Peach Sorbet?

To make fresh peach sorbet, you need fresh ginger, granulated sugar, fresh lemon or lime juice, water, and fresh peaches. 

You also need an ice cream machine, ice cream containers (a loaf pan also works), and a sauce pot. 

Can I Replace The Ginger In This Recipe?

Begin by making the ginger simple syrup to sweeten and flavor the peach sorbet. 

Add the water, sugar, and ginger slices to a 3-quart sauce pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar crystals. Once the sugar dissolves and the sugar syrup comes to a boil, continue cooking it for 30 seconds. Turn off the stove and let the ginger steep in the simple syrup until the liquid cools. 

How Far Ahead Can I Make The Ginger Simple Syrup?

Once the ginger simple syrup cools completely, remove the ginger slices and transfer the simple syrup to an airtight container or bottle. 

You can store the ginger simple syrup in its container for 7-10 days in the refrigerator. 

Can I Use Frozen Peaches In This Sorbet Recipe?

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Rough chop the peaches once you remove the pits. Leave the skin on the peaches because their fibers help stabilize the sorbet once it’s frozen. 

Add the chopped peaches, water, and half of the ginger simple syrup to a 4-quart pan. Bring the liquid in the pot up to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the peaches for 1 minute, then decrease the cooking temperature to medium-low. Gently simmer the fruit for 10-12 minutes or until the peaches break down. 

While you can use frozen peaches to make this sorbet, the finished product won’t be as stable or have that fresh peach flavor. First, thaw, then chop the fruit before adding it to the pot with the water and ginger simple syrup. 

Can I Replace The Peaches With Nectarines?

Allow the cooked peaches to cool for 10 minutes. Afterward, scoop up some pulp and liquid and pass it through a fine-mesh sieve. Use the bottom of a ladle or a rubber spatula to press the juices and pulp through the sieve, separating them from the peach skins. This method allows you to extract pulp, pectin, and fiber from the peaches. These three help stabilize the sorbet, which improves its texture after churning.

Peaches and nectarines are similar fruits, with the main difference being their skin. Nectarines have a smooth skin, while peaches have a thin skin that’s covered in fuzz. You can replace the peaches in this recipe with nectarines and make a nectarine sorbet instead. You can also replace the yellow peaches with white peaches but don’t add additional ginger simple syrup later in the recipe. 

How Far Ahead Can I Make The Peach Sorbet Mix?

Allow the peach mixture to cool completely, then add the fresh lemon juice and ginger simple syrup to taste. The amount of simple syrup you need to add will depend on how sweet your fresh peaches are. I use a Baumé thermometer to measure the sugar in my sorbet mixes, but this specialty tool is not worth the money if you don’t make sorbets often. If you have one, you want the mixture to fall between 16-20° on the Baumé scale. That means there’s the perfect amount of sugar in your mixture. If it’s slightly under, add a little more simple syrup. If it’s over, dilute it with water or pureed peach juice.

Peaches that are ripe enough will require less added ginger simple syrup, so you can save the rest for making cocktails.

Refrigerate the sorbet mix in the bowl overnight or for at least 6 hours to ensure it’s chilled thoroughly. You can speed up this chilling process by submerging the peach sorbet mixture in a larger bowl filled with ice water (also called a water bath). It’s important to fully chill the peach mixture since this reduces the time it takes to churn it. The longer you churn the peach sorbet mix, the more ice crystals will develop. 

You can make this peach sorbet mix 1-2 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to churn it. 

How Long Does It Take To Churn Peach Sorbet?

Pour the chilled peach sorbet mixture into the frozen bowl of an ice cream maker. I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker because it has a setting for ice cream, sorbet, and gelato. Each type of dessert requires a different time and speed of churning, which makes things easy for me. Churn the sorbet according to the manufacturer’s instructions for recommended times for sorbets, or 20 minutes. 

If you have an ordinary ice cream maker with no settings, set a timer for 20 minutes after you begin churning the sorbet. This recipe’s lack of added stabilizers means the peach sorbet will achieve a fluffy texture, which is perfect for scooping. It also means more overrun (yield), so your machine may overflow slightly. You can decrease the amount of peach sorbet mix you add to the ice cream machine or just go with it. I always go with it and eat what doesn’t fit as my payment. 

What’s The Best Container For Storing Sorbets?

Scrape the churned sorbet into plastic containers once the ice cream maker stops. This recipe makes 1 3/4 quarts (about 2 liters) of peach sorbet. You can also transfer the peach sorbet to a shallow container like a loaf pan if you don’t have ice cream containers. I don’t recommend metal pans because they tend to impart a metallic flavor to the sorbet and can discolor it. You also risk scraping metal into the sorbet when you scoop it. I absolutely don’t recommend glass storage containers for sorbets or ice creams. The likelihood of them breaking because they’re not in a freezer-safe container is higher, and you’re less likely to see shards of clear glass in your sorbet. 

After filling the containers with the peach sorbet, freeze them upside down to eliminate air pockets, encouraging ice crystals. 

Why Is My Peach Sorbet Hard?

Remove the sorbet container from the freezer 5-10 minutes before you scoop it to allow it time to soften. Use an ice cream scoop, dipped in water, and shake dry to scoop the sorbet out of the container and into dishes.

Hard sorbets result from insufficient sugar added to the sorbet mixture before churning. You can leave it out at room temperature for an additional 10 minutes to allow it to soften, then try to scoop it again. If it’s still too hard, allow the sorbet to melt completely, add 1/4-1/2 cup of the ginger simple syrup to the mixture and churn it again. The great thing about sorbets is that you can churn them again without ruining the texture or quality.

Why Does My Sorbet Crumble When I Scoop It?

Crumbly sorbets are the result of not enough of the pectin and fiber from the fruit being added to the mixture before churning. You can fix it by combining 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (3 grams) of pectin, and 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum and heating that with 4 cups (1 quart or 1 liter) of the liquid sorbet. Allow the sorbet mixture to cool, then stir it into the rest of the sorbet mixture. Churn the mixture again, and it should be perfect.

It’s important to squeeze out as much of the pulp as possible to avoid needing additional stabilizers. 

How Do I Serve This Peach Sorbet?

Scoop the sorbet into small bowls and enjoy it. 

You can serve this as an intermezzo, Italian for “in the middle,” to cleanse your palate or serve it as a light dessert option.

Peach sorbet makes an amazing bellini when scooped into flutes and served with sparkling wine. 

How Long Can I Store It After Making It?

Store peach sorbet for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the freezer and away from strong odors. The longer you freeze sorbets, the more the flavor and texture breaks down. It’s better to melt the sorbet and re-churn it than to store it longer than 2 weeks.

This delicious sorbet will have you excited for peach season this and every year. With its wholesome ingredients, you’ll always feel good about serving and enjoying it. Add this easy recipe for Peach Sorbet with Ginger to your peach recipes board and share it with your friends and family. Don’t forget to let me know what you think of it in the comments below!

Peach Sorbet with Ginger

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 10 votes

This refreshing, homemade Peach Sorbet is made with ripe yellow peaches, sweetened with a zingy ginger simple syrup.

Prep Time includes chilling the sorbet mixture for 6 hours. Quick-chill instructions are located in the notes section.

Servings: 14 1/2-cup servings

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Cooling the Sorbet 6 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs

Equipment

• ice cream maker
• fine mesh sieve

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Ginger Simple Syrup (Can Be Made 1 Week Ahead)

• 2 cups (480 milliliters) water
• 2 cups (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 3 inch knob (75 grams) ginger washed and sliced into 1/8-inch thick coins

For the Peach Sorbet

• 5 large (2 pounds 2 ounces or 1 1/4 kilograms) yellow peaches pitted and chopped
• 2 cups (480 milliliters) water
• 1-1 1/2 cups (240-360 milliliters) ginger simple syrup
• 1/2 large lemon juiced (1 tablespoon or 15 milliliters)

Instructions 

Prepare the Ginger Simple Syrup

• Add the water, sugar, and ginger slices to a 3-quart sauce pot.

  Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar crystals.
• Once the sugar dissolves and the sugar syrup comes to a boil, continue cooking it for 30 seconds.

  Turn off the stove and let the ginger steep in the simple syrup until the liquid cools. 
• Once the ginger simple syrup cools completely, remove the ginger slices and transfer the simple syrup to an airtight container or bottle. 

  You can store the ginger simple syrup in its container for 7-10 days in the refrigerator. 

Cook the Peaches To Soften Them

• Add the chopped peaches, water, and 1 cup (240 milliliters) of the ginger simple syrup to a 4-quart pan.

  Bring the liquid in the pot up to a simmer over medium heat.
• Simmer the peaches for 1 minute, then decrease the cooking temperature to medium-low.

  Gently simmer the fruit for 10-12 minutes or until the peaches break down. 

Strain the Juice and Pulp From the Peaches

• Allow the cooked peaches to cool slightly.

  Scoop up some pulp and liquid and pass it through a fine-mesh sieve. Use the bottom of a ladle or a rubber spatula to press the juices and pulp through the sieve, separating them from the peach skins.
• Allow the peach mixture to cool completely, then add lemon juice and additional ginger simple syrup to taste. The amount of simple syrup you need to add will depend on how sweet your fresh peaches are.

Chill the Peach Sorbet Mix Before Churning

• Refrigerate the sorbet mix in the bowl overnight or for at least 6 hours to ensure it's chilled thoroughly.

  You can speed up this chilling process by submerging the bowl with the peach sorbet mixture in an ice bath.
• Pour the chilled peach sorbet mixture into the frozen bowl of an ice cream maker.

  Churn the sorbet according to the manufacturer's instructions for recommended times for sorbets, or 20 minutes. 

Keep the Peach Sorbet Frozen Until Its Served

• Scrape the churned sorbet into plastic containers once the ice cream maker stops.

  After filling the containers with the peach sorbet, freeze them upside down to eliminate air pockets, encouraging ice crystals. 
• Remove the sorbet container from the freezer 5-10 minutes before you scoop it to allow it time to soften.

  Use an ice cream scoop, dipped in water, and shake dry to scoop the sorbet out of the container and into dishes.
• Scoop the sorbet into small bowls and enjoy it served as an intermezzo to cleanse your palate or as a light dessert option.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Replace the lemon juice with lime juice. 
• While you can use frozen peaches to make this sorbet, the finished product won't be as stable or have that fresh peach flavor. First, thaw, then chop the fruit before adding it to the pot with the water and ginger simple syrup. 
• Replace the peaches in this recipe with nectarines and make a nectarine sorbet instead.
• You can also replace the yellow peaches with white peaches but don't add additional ginger simple syrup later in the recipe. 
• You can transfer the peach sorbet to a shallow container like a loaf pan if you don't have ice cream containers.

Tips, Techniques, and Troubleshooting:

• Hand-pressing the fruit through the sieve allows you to extract pulp, pectin, and fiber from the peaches, which helps stabilize the sorbet, improving its texture after churning.
• Peaches that are ripe enough will require less added ginger simple syrup, so you can save the rest for making cocktails.
• The longer you churn the peach sorbet mix, the more ice crystals will develop so ensure the sorbet mix is completely cold before churning it.
• You can make the peach sorbet mix 1-2 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to churn it. 
• This recipe's lack of added stabilizers means the peach sorbet will achieve a fluffy texture, which is perfect for scooping. It also means more overrun (yield), so your machine may overflow slightly. You can split the sorbet and churn it in two batches or just eat the overflow.
•  Troubleshooting:
  • The great thing about sorbets is that you can churn them again without ruining the texture or quality. 
  • Hard sorbets result from insufficient sugar added to the sorbet mixture before churning. You can leave it out at room temperature for an additional 10 minutes to allow it to soften, then try to scoop it again. If it's still too hard:
    1. Allow the sorbet to melt completely.
    2. Add 1/4-1/2 cup (60-120 ml) of the ginger simple syrup to the mixture and churn it again. 
  • Crumbly sorbets are the result of not enough of the pectin and fiber from the fruit being added to the mixture before churning. To fix crumbly sorbet:
    1. Combine 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (3 grams) of pectin, and 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
    2. Add this dry mix to 4 cups (1 quart or 1 liter) of the melted sorbet. Heat the mixture to dissolve the dry mixture.
    3. Allow the sorbet mixture to cool, then stir it into the rest of the sorbet mixture.
    4. Churn the mixture again to refreeze it.
• The longer you freeze sorbets, the more the flavor and texture breaks down. 
• Peach sorbet makes an amazing bellini when scooped into flutes and served with sparkling wine. 

Storage Instructions:

• Store peach sorbet for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the freezer and away from strong odors. 
• It's better to melt the sorbet and re-churn it than to store it longer than 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.003gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.004gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.001gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.04mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine European

Keyword Peach, sorbet

Tried this recipe?Mention @senseandedibility or tag #senseandedibility!