A Sorbet has to be among one of the easiest frozen desserts to make. This Strawberry Black Pepper Orange Sorbet certainly is. What is easier than a little prep work and blending the ingredients together? The temperatures in my part of the world are becoming unbearable. It’s just February and it feels like mid-summer!
A Strawberry Black Pepper Orange Sorbet is perfect right now. It’s bright and colourful, light and takes very little time in the kitchen. The strawberry season is almost on the way out. The last lot I bought were a bit tangier than I liked so making a Sorbet was the answer to using them up.
A Sorbet is really a fancy fruit ice to my mind. We were never allowed to go anywhere near one, in my childhood. Fruit ices were never made at home and always sold by vendors at their carts. They were considered unhygienic and the tropical summer was time for all sorts of illnesses. I remember looking at them with much longing but never had the courage to ask for one. Not that I would have got one if I had asked.
The name Sorbet comes from the Arab word “Sharbath” (also the Hindi word and Sarbath in Malayalam) for fruit juice. It is known as I read somewhere that the Chinese were the first to make a version of Sorbet. Apparently it became Sorbet in French from the Italian Sorbetto. The Italians learned it from the Arabs. They got it from the Persia who got it from China. I don’t know if all of it is true, but I definitely believe the Arab Sharbath became today’s Sorbet.
To get back to my Strawberry Black Pepper Orange Sorbet, I had at some point seen recipes combining strawberries with black pepper. I thought I’d try something similar but with a twist. My Sorbet has some fresh orange juice and zest. The result is a slightly sweet and tangy Sorbet with a mild peppery after taste.
Strawberry Black Pepper Orange Sorbet Recipe
Ingredients :
1/2 cup sugar
2/3cup water
2 tbsp whole peppercorns
2 cups hulled and chopped strawberries
1/4 cup fresh unsweetened orange juice (1 orange approx.)
Zest of 1 orange
Method:
Put the water and sugar in a pan. Bring the mixture to boil while stirring till the sugar dissolves completely. Turn down the heat. Crush the peppercorns slightly (not in a peppermill) and drop into the simmering solution. Let it simmer for about half a minute. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit for about half an hour for the the flavour to steep. Then strain out the crushed peppercorns.
Blend the chopped strawberries, the orange juice, zest and strained sugar syrup together till smooth. Pour into a freezer container and freeze till set. Take it out of the freezer every hour or so and stir or blend to break up the ice crystals. Repeat 3 or 4 times until it’s smooth and set enough to scoop easily. Serve.
This recipe serves four.
Please note this post has been recently updated with some text and photographs.
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
I love strawberries with peper.And love sorbet too. This one looks so beautiful and love the colour too.I am sure going to make this when it is full summer here.Love the picture.
thats an unusual combination but i can see how it would work really well! looks gorgeous – the color just leaps out at you!
Wow lovely color..Love sorbet and strawberries..Nice combination..Bookmarked.
This sounds such an unusual combi Aparna! Am going to try this … love no fuss recipes. 🙂
The colour is so vibrant! It’s not often that you come across a dessert that looks good, tastes good and it soooo low fat! I will definitely try this recipe in the summer.Last year, I remember having strawberry and balsmic ice cream, which is another great (if somewhat weird) combination!
The sorbet has an amazing colour!
YUM! Must be great to have this in that heat there. We are just getting warmer and waiting for the Summer to heat to try Ice creams and slushy!:)Looks fabulous, nice color with a touch of pepper. My mother always added pepper to Pineapple juice or fruit, so I know it tastes great. great entry.
This is such an unique combination! I did hear about spicy icecream before. but col dnot think of ice cream with cayenne.. but a subtle taste to peppercorn I can imagine. I should try this in summer. Beautiful color! It’s like adding pepper to sweet fruit salads.
Very differnt kinda sorbet. Interesting. I absolutely LOVED the picture, Aparna. It’s beautiful!
The sorbet is such a beautiful shade of red! The combination (of strawberries and black pepper) is very unusual and not one that I’ve heard of before. Looks fantastic! 🙂
Thats an interesting combo..Love the color.It looks so inviting 🙂
Perfect fatfree dessert!! Adding Black pepper is new to me.. I might like the after taste..
Waiting the heat to eat all those cool stuff. Like the pepper with fruit!
Great recipe! Very original.
Thats a unusual combination..great recipe indeed…looks amazing!!
I’m sure that’s a lovely combination Aparna, because I eat my pineapple chunks sprinkled with salt and black pepper powder or red chilli powder. The picture is very good.
Loved the sorbet for the color. I add a pinc of pepper powder to my mousambi juice. Nice click.
Such a pretty dessert and I’ve not heard of the pepper and strawberry combo. Made the hatke bread Aparna..it was great!
Lovely colour and awesome click. Sounds yum.
Looks so good. Lovely color.
lovely color and a new combo to me.
very pretty sorbet. i’d love to try this with a touch of balsamic vinegar.
How beautiful this sorbet looks, Aparna, and I can imagine the pepper must add a subtle kick. Sounds delicious.
Spicy pepper kick to the sorbet.A tsist from the usual.Lovely Aparna,the pic looks as yummy as it could get.
Seems like a really interesting combination Aparna!
I have heard of ice-cream with chilli in it – these ideas appeal to me. That colour is so, so red!
Absolutely perfect for the warmer days coming on..!Personally I have never heard of pepper in deserts,but now Im very intrigued.It looks so beautifully tempting..Mia
Unique recipe.. Pepper with fruit! Thanks for sending it to Think Pepper event!