Ripe cantaloupe is one of the most seductive fruits of the summer: Fragrant and honey-sweet, its perfumed aroma saturates the air around it. When it’s good, it’s irresistible. Aside from popping pieces of it straight from the fridge, we love to transform cantaloupe into sorbet. Wait until it’s melon season, and then make this wonderful dessert.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
1 2-pound cantaloupe
½ cup (100 grams) sugar
1½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Pinch of kosher salt
1. Place the cantaloupe, sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and salt in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer the sorbet base to a quart-size container, cover, and refrigerate until fully cold, about 3 hours.
2. Pour the chilled sorbet base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the container in which you refrigerated the sorbet base in the freezer, so you can use it to store the finished sorbet. Churn the sorbet until it resembles Italian ice. Transfer the sorbet to the chilled storage container and freeze until hardened to your desired consistency. The sorbet will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days.