Grapes that are very robust, such as Concord or Muscat, make a fine, flavorful grape sorbet. These grapes are usually at their best in autumn. If you have access to wine grapes, they produce a wonderful sorbet as well. Don’t use seedless table grapes, such as Thompson and Red Flame; these make a great snack, but not a very tasty sorbet.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

　　3 1/2 pounds (1 3/4 kg) grapes

　　3 tablespoons (45 ml) water

　　1/4 cup (60 ml) light corn syrup

　　1 tablespoon vodka

　　

Step 1

Remove the grapes from the stems (see page 151) and cut them in half if they’re large or have thick skins. Place them in a large, nonreactive pot, add the water, and cover. Cook the grapes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the skins have burst and the grapes are soft and cooked through.

　　

Step 2

Remove from the heat and pass the warm grapes through a food mill fitted with a fine disk, or press through a strainer with a flexible spatula if you wish to remove the grape solids. Stir the corn syrup and vodka into the grape juice.

　　

Step 3

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

　　

Perfect Pairing

Step 4

Serve Grape Sorbet alongside Peanut Butter Ice Cream (page 50).

　　The Perfect Scoop