Mandarin Sorbet | Mandarins.com.au

Mandarin sorbet is a natural fit for winter: the fruit is at peak juice and fragrance exactly when a sharp, clean frozen dessert is most welcome after a heavy meal. It requires no dairy, no eggs, and no machine if you are willing to stir it a few times while it freezes.

Fresh mandarin juice has a floral quality that concentrates well in frozen form. A good mandarin sorbet should taste like eating a very cold, intensely flavoured mandarin, nothing more. Get the fruit right and the recipe is simple.

Quick guide

Four mandarin frozen dessert styles worth making:

Pure mandarin sorbet: the classic, juice, syrup, lemon; churned or stirred-freeze
Mandarin and Campari sorbet: bitter and citrus, for adults; good after a rich winter dinner
Mandarin and prosecco granita: no machine needed, coarser texture, easy for entertaining
Mandarin and rosemary sorbet: herbal, fragrant, unusual; pairs well with game or duck

Best mandarin variety for sorbet

Honey Murcott is the recommended variety for sorbet, as noted by SBS Food’s O Tama Carey. The variety has high juice content, dark orange flesh, and a natural sweetness that does not need much added sugar. It produces a sorbet with deep colour and intense flavour.

Afourer also works well, with strong aroma and good juice yield. Imperial produces a lighter, less sweet sorbet that needs slightly more sugar in the syrup.

You need around 650ml of juice for a standard batch (roughly 16 to 20 mandarins depending on variety). Juice the fruit and strain to remove pulp before measuring.

Pure mandarin sorbet

The method from SBS Food’s mandarin and star anise sorbet, simplified: make a sugar syrup by combining water and raw caster sugar in a saucepan, stirring until dissolved, then bring to the boil. Add aromatics at this point if using (star anise, bay leaves, vanilla). Cool the syrup completely, then combine with mandarin juice and a little lemon juice. Refrigerate overnight for a more developed flavour.

Strain the chilled mixture and churn in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze until ready to serve.

Without a machine, pour the mixture into a shallow container and freeze. Stir vigorously with a fork every 45 minutes for three to four hours as the mixture firms. This produces a slightly coarser texture, closer to a granita, but still works.

The lemon juice is important: mandarin juice alone can taste flat when frozen. Start with 50ml lemon juice per 650ml mandarin juice and adjust to taste.

Key ingredients: mandarin juice, caster sugar, water, lemon juice.

Mandarin and Campari sorbet

Add 60 to 80ml of Campari to the chilled juice and syrup mixture before churning. The Campari brings bitterness and a slight herbal quality that balances the mandarin’s sweetness. The alcohol also lowers the freezing point slightly, producing a softer sorbet that scoops more cleanly.

This version is for adults, and is best served as a palate cleanser between courses or as a dessert after a rich meal. The deep orange-red colour looks striking in a chilled glass.

The Gourmet Traveller mandarin and yoghurt frozen slice by Jordan Toft of Bert’s demonstrates the versatility of churned mandarin sorbet: layered between almond dacquoise and yoghurt sorbet, with chamomile infused into the juice for additional floral complexity. For a home version, the Campari variation is simpler and just as satisfying.

Key ingredients: mandarin juice, Campari, sugar, water, lemon juice.

Mandarin and prosecco granita

Granita requires no machine and no stirring technique. Dissolve sugar in a little warm mandarin juice, then combine with the remaining juice and prosecco. Pour into a shallow metal tray and freeze for four to six hours, scraping with a fork every hour to create a fine crystal texture.

The prosecco adds effervescence and a dry note that cuts the mandarin’s sweetness. Serve in chilled glasses with a sprig of mint. This is the easiest frozen mandarin dessert for entertaining: it can be made two days ahead, and the freezer does all the work.

Use about 200ml prosecco to 400ml mandarin juice. The alcohol keeps the granita from setting too hard.

Key ingredients: mandarin juice, prosecco, sugar.

Mandarin and rosemary sorbet

Infuse rosemary into the hot sugar syrup: bring syrup to the boil, add two fresh rosemary sprigs, remove from heat, and steep for 20 minutes. Strain and cool completely before combining with mandarin juice and lemon juice. Churn as for the pure sorbet.

The rosemary adds a piney, herbal quality that complements the floral mandarin without overwhelming it. This version pairs well with savoury courses, particularly roast duck or lamb, or with a cheese board.

Use a light hand with the rosemary: steep for too long and the bitterness dominates. Twenty minutes in the hot syrup gives enough flavour without sharpness.

Key ingredients: mandarin juice, sugar, water, rosemary, lemon juice.

When to make mandarin sorbet

Honey Murcott peaks from July to August, giving the best juice for sorbet. Afourer is available from late April. See when Australian mandarins are in season for the full variety calendar.