Key lime Zinger Sorbet ~ Another dairy-free, gluten-free dish

Want sweet-tart? Want a light, refreshing dessert? Go ahead, satisfy that craving!

I bought these little cuties the other day and figured I’d use them for something delish. So, thinking along the lines of yesterday’s post, I decided to come up with a dessert to go with the dairy-free, gluten-free theme. The great thing about being a food writer is that there will never be a time that I’ll run out of things to discover. And thanks to you great foodie friends sending me requests, I have goals beyond my original thoughts.

So let’s talk about these pretty little green babies. Aside from the fact that they make a terrific centerpiece for the table, here’s a few facts about them…

Key limes are a citrus hybrid and are more sour than a regular lime. They are grown mostly in the Florida Keys, Texas, Mexico and California, here in the United states. They are native to Southeast Asia and eventually were introduced to North America through Spanish explorers. The peak season for key limes, here in the U.S. is June through August but they are available from Mexico and Central America year round.

How to tell if they’re fresh and ripe? The skins should be light yellow and they should be firm, not hard. If you go back up there ^ and look at that bowl, you can see that mine were just getting to perfect ripeness. If you see any powdery, white stuff on them, that’s mold. Skip those ones. If you see any blotchy, brown spots or they feel hard and look like they’re shriveling, don’t buy them.

Unfortunately, if you see any of the bad signs in a bunch of key limes in the produce section of your grocery market, you’re probably gonna find that they’re all not good. When I have to buy something that isn’t grown locally and I want the freshest possible ingredients, I just ask the produce manager when they’re going to get a new shipment of what I want in. Usually, they’re more than happy to tell me.

The “Zing” ingredient in this sorbet is fresh ginger. And if you wanna read more about ginger, see my post Ginger Pear Salad ~ plus tips on how to have an endless supply of fresh ginger! to see how you can grow your very own endless supply.

Unlike ice cream, sorbet is a lot quicker to make because it cools faster. So, there’s not as much wait time in getting it to the ice cream maker. I wanted mine to cool even faster, so I put the liquid over a bowl of ice water and gave it a whisk every so often. It only took about 40 minutes to cool completely.

I keep my ice cream maker in the box out in the garage until I need it. Aggie loves that box, so she loves it when I make stuff with that appliance. In the box, outta the box. In the box, outta the box. LOL!

I used honey instead of sugar for my sorbet because, even though it has more calories than sugar, it has more nutrition and your body works harder to break it down. That’s a good thing. The more you give your body to work with the better, I say. Raw honey, purchased locally is best. The bees pick up the things that are native to you and that’s great for your immune system! I can’t help but brag on those little guys because they do so much work for us. Thank you lil bees!

Here’s a general comparison…

How did it turn out? Very good! I might add a little spice to it next time, just for fun but overall it was a delightful dessert.

If you’re looking for a great honey supplier, check out Crigger Farm. They’ve got the goods and it’s super GOOD!

There you have it folks! A new recipe to put in your back pocket and a little nerdy-foodie info to boot 🙂

Make it a delicious day friends. Till next time ~ much love, Connie