Fresh lychee makes a luscious sorbet

I’m having a particularly good lychee season. Through no effort of my own, I’ve been accumulating bags of fresh fruit. Friends with fruit trees are the best.

Most years I can peel and eat them just fast enough to keep up with supply; this year I’ve had to actually do something with them. So I’ve hit on my new favorite thing: lychee sorbet.

Sorbet takes just a few ingredients and a bit of manual labor, but otherwise your freezer does all the work. And the basic recipe can be applied to just about any fruit.

This leads me to the upcoming holiday: July Fourth. Make batches of lychee and watermelon sorbet, top with blueberries and you’ll be flying the colors, in dessert form. And the pure, fresh fruit taste will make people think you’ve done something magical.

A few tips

>> A paring knife helps peel lychee quickly. Insert the tip near the stem end, all the way to the seed. Cut in a circle all the way around the fruit, then pull the shell apart. The shell and the fruit should split into two halves. The seed can be plucked out and the shell pulled off. Do this over a bowl to catch the juice.

>> You’ll need to make a simple syrup of equal parts water and sugar. Make extra and refrigerate; you’ll have it on hand for the next batch of fruit.

>> You can decrease the amount of sugar or try other sweeteners, such as honey or stevia. But some sugar or sugar stand-in is needed in order for the sorbet to freeze properly.

>> To make a creamy sherbet, replace half the sugar syrup with half-and-half or coconut milk.

>> Use any fruit puree — melons are especially good. Just keep in mind that to get 2 cups of puree it takes 2 cups of seeded lychee, but 4 cups of melon chunks.

>> Extracts such as mint, coconut or almond can add a twist to the flavor.

Fresh Lychee Sorbet

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups lychee puree (from about 20 fresh fruit)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat water in saucepan over medium-high; add sugar and stir to dissolve. Syrup should be clear. Cool to room temperature. (This will take a couple of hours. If you’re in a hurry, stir in some ice cubes, but remove them immediately so the syrup doesn’t dilute.)

Combine lychee puree with lemon juice, then add sugar syrup a little at a time, tasting as you go. You may not need all the syrup if lychee is especially sweet.

Pour mixture into a shallow glass or plastic container. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.

Scrape or scoop sorbet to serve. If it is too hard, break frozen mixture into pieces using the tip of a knife (if the mixture is unbreakable, microwave the entire container on high about 30 seconds to soften). Place pieces in large bowl.Use an electric mixer to beat mixture into a smooth sorbet. May be served at this point, or freeze again 1-2 hours to firm it up a little. Makes about 3 cups.

Nutritional information unavailable.

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