Last year, I had a heck of a time finding fresh rhubarb. I scoured several grocery stores and farmstands and finally found a small collection of rather withered stalks. They didn’t look too fresh, but I bought some anyway, for fear of not finding anything better. A few days later, we were picking early strawberries at a local farm, and I found that their stand had some lovely, fresh rhubarb stalks. I have to confess, I went a little wild and bought about 4 pounds, hoarding the beloved vegetable against future rhubarb shortages. I made a few recipes but I also chopped up quite a bit and froze it. And boy, was I glad I did. What a treat to have some rhubarb to eat during our long, harsh winter.
I went out with a friend for dinner once and had a gorgeous dessert of rhubarb sorbet in champagne. I’d never thought of rhubarb as a candidate for sorbet, but it turns out that sorbet is actually a perfect vehicle for the tart rhubarb flavour. I got thinking about that dessert recently, and decided I needed to give it a go. What is rhubarb sorbet, after all, but frozen rhubarb sauce? And I certainly know how to make rhubarb sauce! Since my sorbet would be sugarless, I did rely on a trick I’ve read about a few times now, in the hopes of countering any iciness that might arise. This little “trick” is to add a few tablespoons of alcohol to the mix, since it helps keep liquids from freezing solid, an important quality in the absence of sugar. In this case, I chose vodka because it doesn’t have much flavour on it’s own. This is meant to be a family friendly treat, after all!
The Results: Rhubarb heaven! Really, if you like rhubarb, you will find this heavenly. The rhubarb flavour just seems to be intensified through the cooking and then the freezing. It’s actually a miracle that any made it to the freezing process, as the taste of the puree was so good, I wanted to eat the whole batch. And the texture was creamy and not at all icy, so it would seem that the vodka did the trick. The pictures make it look more melty than it actually was…I was working as quickly as I could to get decent photos but it’s not easy when working with ice cream or sorbet!
As with any non-commercial ice cream, it is best enjoyed when freshly made, as the leftovers did freeze very hard and had to be left out for a while before you could even dent the surface with a spoon. So if you are making this just for one or two people, make a half-batch. But whether you make this low carb or with sugar, just make it! It is pure rhubarb heaven.
I have learned through experience that the trick to successfully making ice cream at home is to thoroughly freeze the ice-cream canister and thoroughly chill the puree or custard before proceeding. Don’t skimp on these steps, as I have been known to do, or you will end up with a soupy mess that doesn’t churn properly. My Cuisinart ice cream canister needs to be frozen for a good 12 hours, so I often just keep it in the freezer.
Rhubarb Sorbet
4 cups sliced rhubarb
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated erythritol
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp vodka (optional, but helps consistency)
12 drops stevia extract
Combine rhubarb, water, erythritol and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until rhubarb is very soft, about 10 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours.
Stir in vodka and stevia. Transfer mixture to freezer bowl of ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions until creamy and thick. Transfer to an airtight container and press plastic wrap to the surface. Freeze until firm to the touch but not hard, 1 to 2 hours. Serve immediately.
Serves 6. Each serving has 20g total carbs but only 4g when subtracting erythritol.
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This looks refreshing. Will have to try this. Thanks for sharing!
Love this! I really like the flavor of rhubarb with it's bite and have been convinced there is something besided pie that could feature it! I have some from a local farm and will definitely try this!
I made the mistake of taking a bite out of fresh rhubarb once. Man was I sorry! I haven't tried cooking with it, actually I just threw it out. I know so bad. You are convincing me to give it another try. Your sorbet looks so refreshing and good! Thanks for sharing.
(I forgot to let you know I was recommending you for the FoodLover's interview. But I see you got the message:) Can't wait to read it.
I love the pretty colour! I'm going to make a "sugar" version of this tonight…thanks for the inspiration! theresa
Thanks for the great tip for adding the vodka! As I first looked at the recipe I was surprised to see vodka listed but then read your post and learned something new!!
Rhubarb sorbet is awesome! I love the color and your first photo looks great!
This looks fantastic…I have only tried rhubarb a couple of times but I did enjoy 🙂 Perfect treat for warm weather!
This sounds very refreshing! And perfect for a spring or summer evening 🙂
I wish rhubarb was available here in India! I am seeing all these gorgeous rhubarb recipes and yours looks fantastic and very refreshing!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
My step moms grandma used to make rhubarb everything. This sounds tasty and looks so refreshing!
So pretty! And so tasty-sounding. I'm also pretty obsessed with rhubarb at the moment, and this is making me soooo sad I haven't gotten around to getting an ice cream maker yet…
Hi Carolyn! Embarassingly, this is my very first year hearing about rhubarb – I don't think we have this vegetable (right?) in Japan…. I actually don't know what it looks like because everyone used it for cooking and I only see the outcome. It's time to google to see the picture and go check stores. Your sorbet looks delicious! I wonder how long this vegetable last as you mentioned it's seasonal…
Cheers to rhubarb. I like this rather tart fruit but only when someone else makes it. This looks so good.
Cheers.
Velva
I wasn't really a fan of rhubarb growing up but this looks so refreshing that I am going to have to revisit it soon.
Yeah, I'm a bit embarrassed I haven't tired rhubarb yet either. But look at your sorbet! I love that color and it's spiked?! I need to try this soon. 🙂
Glad to see I'm not the only rhubarb virgin. It looks so intimidating in the grocery store! Intimidating and intriguing tho 🙂 Perhaps there's a sorbet in my future…
Thanks for sharing! (and for rocking the vodka in your sorbet)
beautiful colourful sorbet
rhubarbs are not in season here yet so many dishes I want try with it
regards
I have to admit I have never had rhubarb before. Even less would I have thought of making a sorbet with it! This post was really inspiring!
Fantastic! I've never made anything with rhubarb before. I must try it soon. I'm sold. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
It looks absolutely amazing! Coming from Taiwan, I love rhubarb and the pastes and spreads made from it. I'm very keen to try this out. What would you suggest for consistency if I choose not to use alcohol?