If you have never been to Michigan in July…Oh! You must plan a trip to West Michigan during cherry season! The orchards have some of the most beautiful trees you have ever seen. Michigan is known nationwide for the best growing conditions for cherries – and we are so proud of it!
I also dehydrated some, made cherry granola (similar to my strawberry granola), some cherry pie, and THIS…
Cherry Vanilla Sherbet
Cherry season in Michigan - I wish it would never end. But I can make it last in my freezer with this cherry vanilla sherbet.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh pitted sweet cherries
- 1/3 cup sucanat organic pure cane sugar, or honey
- 1 ½ cups whole milk Raw preferable, or at least non homogenized and low pasturiezed. Cream would also work. If you are dairy free use coconut milk.
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TB organic vodka This helps the sherbet not to freeze rock hard
Instructions
- Put the cherries and sugar in a medium sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Use a potato masher or something similar to squish the cherries some and let the juices simmer about 10 minutes.
- Puree the cherry/sugar mixture.
- Pour the cherry puree in a medium mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients and blend with handheld mixer.
- Put the sherbet mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
- Give the mixture a quick blend again before pouring into your ice cream maker and process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Mine takes about 30 minutes.
- Pour the sherbet into a container for the freezer and freeze a good 6-12 hours (if you can wait that long!). I use my big empty coconut oil jugs for storing ice cream!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Product links in this section are from affiliate partners. There is no extra cost to you, and it helps maintain the site and provide free content to you! Know that I would never recommend a product that I wouldn’t use or feed my family!
Tips:
- If you are dairy free, HERE
is a safe coconut milk in a BPA free container. The coconut milk version tastes just as good! - Use whatever fruit is in season where you are right now! Raspberries, blackberries, peaches!
- Cherries start going bad pretty fast after you pit them! Plan on keeping them in the fridge un-pitted until right before you are going to make the sorbet.
- I have a very simple cherry pitter – it works fantastic and helps get through a large amount of cherry pits much faster! I think they pit faster/easier when they are chilled by the way.
- THIS is the ice cream maker I use! I have THIS one on my wishlist for soon to make double batches of ice cream!
- Try using almond extract vs the vanilla. It turns out cherry amaretto tasting – so good!
is a safe coconut milk in a BPA free container. The coconut milk version tastes just as good!
– it works fantastic and helps get through a large amount of cherry pits much faster! I think they pit faster/easier when they are chilled by the way.
is the ice cream maker I use! I have 
one on my wishlist for soon to make double batches of ice cream!
My kids will love this one. You can’t go wrong with cherry.
Oh My! Your sorbet sounds delicious! Perfect snack on a hot day! I love cherries and I haven’t tried making a sorbet from them before, but after seeing your recipe and photos, I have to do so 🙂
Wow! Simply gorgeous! What a great summer time treat!