Freezing Redcurrant Slush Sorbet

Our answer

Nigella's Redcurrant Slush Sorbet (from NIGELLA SUMMER) is made with 750g of redcurrants, 500g of sugar, orange juice and zest and some Cointreau. The name "slush sorbet" indicates that it will not freeze as solidly as a regular sorbet and Nigella mentions that after churning it will be a "vivid puce slush", rather than a fully frozen sorbet.

In this recipe there are two ingredients that affect the freezing point of the sorbet. The first is sugar and it is correct that the higher the level of sugar, the softer the texture will be. However alcohol also affects the freezing point and the more alcohol a sorbet contains, the less solid it will be. So if you prefer a firmer sorbet then it would be best to reduce the amount of Cointreau, or omit it completely. Redcurrants can be quite sharp and will taste even less sweet when frozen, so if you are going to reduce the sugar we would suggest that you taste the redcurrant mixture before freezing it as if it is already sharp then it could be slightly unpalatable when frozen. The redcurrant syrup needs to taste quite sweet in unfrozen form to be sure that it is not too sharp when frozen.