Grapefruit & Orange Sorbetto

This recipe came out of "A16 Food+Wine" by Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren. Nate is the Executive Chef at the restaurant, and Shelley is the Wine Director. There are a ton of amazing recipes and foodie blurbs. Mike made the chocolate gelato last weekend and said it was the best he'd ever had. We highly recommend it! I'll add my notes at the bottom of the recipe.

Grapefruit Sorbetto
makes about 1 quart

1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon powdered pectin
1 quart freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and pectin. Combine 1 cup grapefruit juice with the corn syrup in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisk in the sugar mixture, and then continue whisking for about 1 minute or until the sugar and pectin are completely dissolved.

Pour the remaining 3 cups grapefruit juice and the lemon juice into a medium bowl. Add the sugar mixture into the juice gradually, whisking in about 1 tablespoon at a time until the sugar mixture is completely incorporated and the base is smooth. At this point, the base can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before churning, or it can be cooled down in an ice bath until well chilled and then churned immediately.

Whisk the base, then pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. The sorbetto should be smooth and semisolid. Store in a chilled container in the freezer. The sorbetto is best if served the same day it was churned.


We used 2 cups fresh grapefruit juice and 2 cups canned juice the first time we made it. We found the flavor to be *very* tart. For my taste, it was too tart to really enjoy. It would work great as a palate cleanser in between courses, but not really for a treat on a hot day. The second time we made it I substituted 1 cup orange juice, and the taste is perfect! Just as another note, this recipe makes about a 1/4 cup too much for my ice cream maker (a Cuisinart). I usually end up with a smidgen left over, otherwise the paddle gets covered up.

Of course I had to change the recipe. You know I can't leave well enough alone!