IMBB? - Sorbets

For the 14th edition of Is My Blog Burning?, food bloggers were challenged not with a specific ingredient (such as rice or fish), nor with a specific food type (such as cakes or tartines), this month our inspiration was color.  ORANGE.

I was absolutely stumped on what to make.  The choices, for me, were quite limited -- dishes made with smoked paprika, carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, papayas, American or cheddar cheese (!), peaches, or oranges -- there aren't very many dishes that I cook on a regular basis that use these ingredients.  Then I started thinking a bit more, and since I've been playing with my ice cream maker a lot recently, I thought why not try to prepare a couple of frozen treats.  So here is what I came up with...

Li Hing Mui Sorbet

2/3 cup superfine sugar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon li hing mui powder
3 li hing mui seeds

In a small sauce pan dissolve sugar in water, then bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and add in lemon juice, lemon zest, li hing mui powder and the three li hing mui seeds.  Let steep for about 20 minutes or until mixture has cooled to room temperature.  Remove seeds, then place in an ice cream machinie and process according to the manufacturer's instructions.

I wanted a bit more li hing mui flavor, so using the three seeds that I removed, I carefully stripped away the flesh from the pit, chopped finely and added it back to the sorbet mixture while it was in the ice cream maker.

Now I wouldn't say that this was really orange, but it was more like a red-orange color. I hope this counts!

In case that doesn't count, I decided I would take on something else that was a bit different.  Kumquats.  I wouldn't say that I'm familiar with kumquats or their true flavor, however, I have eaten preserved kumquats and found them to be a bit sweet and a bit tart.  I can still find fresh kumquats in the grocery store and their small size and orange color made them perfect to use in this ORANGE challenge.

Kumquat sorbet

2/3 cup superfine sugar
1 cup water
1/4 pound fresh kumquats, quartered and seeded
3 tablespoons lemon or orange juice*

In a small sauce pan, dissolve sugar in water, then add kumquats.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Cook until kumquats are slightly softened (about 15 minutes), then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Transfer liquid and kumquats  to a blender and puree until smooth.  Add in lemon (or orange) juice (I used mandarin orange juice) and transfer mixture to an ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer's instructions.

My favorite of the two was definitely the kumquat sorbet.  It was nice and tart, just the way I like it.  The li hing mui sorbet didn't really freeze too well, so I'm going to have to look at perfecting the recipe.  It ended up more like an ice cake rather than a sorbet, but it still had that sweet-sour flavor that I love so much.

Comments

[clare eats]

Hey!

Are you just trying on different logos for size? :)

Um what is li hing mui?
I cant beleive it, I have no idea what it is... and I havent cheated by

[clare eats]

arghhh! it posted all by its self, sorry!

continuing on....

looking it up on google. yet

[anthony]

OK that's it. I'm getting an ice cream maker. Winter can get stuffed.

[anthony]

Oh BTW Rocking good logo.

[santos.]

fontalicious logos! that sorbet looks like shave ice deeeeluxe. nth, you don't need an ice cream maker for this.

[chronicler]

Very nice! I love both sorbets! Great pics too! I had not thought of kumquat. My husband will be glad you did!

[sharlyn]

Well this I gotta make. My mouth is watering just thinking about li hing mui.

[Trisha]

Looks so refreshing. Iv'e had a lot of ling hi mui stuff but not a sorbet.

I think it would be too dangerous for me if I got an ice cream machine. YIKES!

[Reid]

Hi Clare,

Yes. I am trying new logos on for size! How do you like them? There are a couple more and then I'm going to put it up for vote. =)

Li hing mui is a Chinese preserved plum. It's very popular here in Hawaii. Here's a link to a website with a picture of the one I used to make this.

http://www.cybersnacks.net/product360.html

You can get stuff like this at Aji Ichiban at Funan IT Mall.

Hi Anthony,

I forgot that winter was headed your way soon. You actually don't need an ice cream maker to make any of these things. You can do it using a non-reactive bowl, but you'll have to stir it every couple of hours to get a nice texture.

BTW...thanks for the compliment on the logo.

Hi Santos,

Fontalicious is right! I'm working on a redesign that will hopefully last forever. You know how brand marketing campaigns are. =)

The li hing mui one didn't have the right texture. =( I'm going to have to work on perfecting this one. It was a first for me.

Hi chronicler,

Thank you. The kumquat one is especially nice as it's a bit sour-tart. I really enjoy the flavor and just a scoop after dinner is enough to clear my palate.

Hi Sharlyn,

Thanks for visiting the site.

If you do make this, the li hing mui one comes out a little like iced cake (or a smoother shaved ice). I'm trying to perfect the recipe for it. It melts really quick.

Hi Trisha,

I like li hing mui too, and this was really nice and refreshing with lots of li hing flavor. I did make it into ice cream and was more pleased with the result. Perhaps I'll post that recipe soon.

[clare eats]

Oh, :)
Chinese Preserved plum... I might have to try some... I would go to the grocery store that you recomended but I think it would cost alittle to much in petrol to "drive" there from Sydney :)
I am pretty sure, now that I know what they are that I might have seen them in a store here, I just never knew what they were called, or what to do with them...

Well I'll give them a whirl and post it to my blog!

Yes I like all your banners.... mine needs work still... I have only played with it alittle yet.

ciao, and keep up the good work!

[foodnerd]

To improve the icy texture of the sorbet, I would try adding a teaspoon or two of alcohol, something that would taste nice with the fruit (triple sec, vodka, sauternes, etc). I got this idea from a cook's illustrated sherbert recipe that kicks total ass, and have adapted it for several other recipes with great success. Sauternes in particular makes berry and melon sorbets completely mouthgasmic. And for what it's worth, if you have an icecream machine, you can make low-fat versions of yummy treats, like banana rum-raisin icemilk. But then again, you could turn to the dark side and make super-creamy lime sherbert all the time. Hee! I LOVE my icecream machine, and i am strictly anti-gadget. I can't wait to try making kumquat sorbet, and there is an Aji Ichiban in Boston, so perhaps I can get my li hing mui on sometime this summer. yum...

[Phan]

Reid,

Cool that Sakai san is visiting Hawaii. I love to watch Iron Chef alot. Will you have the chance to taste his food?

The article about poi and colon cancer is very interesting. I read that colon cancer is mostly caused by high consumption of red meat. Do native Hawaiians have a lot of red meat in their meals?

[Reid]

Hi Clare,

If you want some I can send some to you! =)
Just send me an e-mail with your mailing address. I would be no trouble at all.

Hi foodnerd,

Welcome to my blog!

Thanks so much for the tips on making the li hing mui sorbet. Next time I make this, I'll be sure to try what you've recommended. I'm just not sure what type of alcohol goes well with li hing mui.

Thanks again!

Hi Phan,

It is cool that Sakai is visiting, but I'm not certain that I'll be able to visit him at Chai's for dinner. I'm going to try to go and if I do, you know it'll be posted here.

To be honest with you, I don't believe that Hawaiians eat more red meat than anyone else. Most of the Hawaiian people that I know eat quite a bit of fish, however, when they eat meat I would say it's more pork than beef.

[rae]

Oh my god! How did I miss this post? And what is it about li hing that instantly makes your mouth water when you think of it?! Perhaps part of the reason it didn't freeze well is the salt content...but I'm no chemist. Great new banner, you really are just too cool!

[Reid]

Hi Rae,

I'm not sure what it is about li hing anything, but it sure does taste good huh? It could be because of the salt, but I'm going to try and work on it over the summer.

Thanks for the compliment on the banner. I'm trying a makeover and will put the banner issue out to vote in the next week or so. Stay tuned.

[Amy]

Hi,

I was looking for receipies on how to make the "wet" ling hing mui and stumbled on to your site. It is quite interesting. I have a plum tree and due to the weather, many small green plums have fallen, so I thought perhaps I can find recipes on-line to make home made preserved ling hing plums. Any suggestings? I've searched many sites, but haven't found any information to help. If you have any suggestings or have the receipes to pickle the plums I would really appreciate it.

Thanks

[Reid]

Hi Amy,

Thank you for stopping by the site.

Unfortunately, I don't have a recipe for making li hing mui, however, you would probably need to dry the fruit first before attempting to soak it in some liquid. If you want to make the crunchy type, I would think that it would just be vinegar and sugar, but I'm really not certain.

Maybe one of my readers can provide you with the information that you're looking for.

Anyone?

Good luck!

[Steamy Kitchen]

I can't wait to try Li Hing Mui sorbet!!! Have you tried this again with better success?