Blueberry Buttermilk Sorbet or Sherbet without Ice-cream Maker

I do not know why I have been procrastinating so much. I have many posts lying untouched in the 'draft' section. I have many a bookmarked recipes that I want to try out. Books borrowed from the library are just lying around. The book-list on my Kindle is growing. But I am mostly doing nothing. This has been happening to me this entire month. I get this unreasonable pangs out of the blue that summer will be over soon and that thought blots all brightness out of my life! The weather has not been helping much. It has been raining and gloomy and mercury has been dipping to as low as 15 degree C. Imagine that - in July! It will go down to 12 degree C on Thursday which is as cold as Kolkata gets during the winter months.

And then there is so much depressing news from all around the globe. I can only send my prayers to the families struck by so much misfortune.

But then when my 4.75 year old starts to skip and leap about around the house, shaking a leg to Pharrell William's 'Happy' or I when I have a long uninterrupted chat with a good friend or a long SKYPE session with my parents or when the husband takes care of the cooking (he is getting better with each passing day!) - colors comes back to my life again. And, of course all the amazing recipes I have been trying out and the wonderful food I have been eating.

Coming back  to today's recipe, I never thought I could make a sorbet at home without an  ice cream maker till I found this recipe on browneyedbaker. Yes it does take longer and might seem a little tedious the first time around - but it is so worth it! And oh, I used blueberries that we had picked. I had made this few weeks back and let procrastination get the better of me! The tartness of buttermilk offsets the sweetness of blueberries beautifully and is the perfect refreshing treat for the hot summer afternoons!

Ingredients: 

• Fresh Blueberries - 3 Cups
• Granulated Sugar -  1 Cup
• Buttermilk - 1 Cup (See notes)
• Zest of one lemon
• Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp

Blend the blueberries and sugar together in a blender/mixer till you get a smooth puree. Sieve the puree using a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Using your hand or the back of a spoon press down as much liquid you can. Throw away the solids. Pour in the buttermilk and spoon in the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Stir to mix.

Now transfer the puree to a freezer safe container, cover tightly with a cling-wrap and freeze for 2 hours. Take it out and using a hand mixer break up the ice crystals that are just beginning to form. Cover once again and put it back into the freezer for 2 more hours.
After 2 hours, take it out of the freezer. Once again beat with the hand mixer. At this point the sorbet should be thick but squishy enough to scoop. If you see that the sorbet is not thick enough, return it to the freezer and freeze for another hour or so. Beat again, transfer to an airtight container (make sure there is at least half an inch space in the top) and return it to the freezer and let it freeze until firm.  I left it in the freezer overnight before I scooped out and served.

For the buttermilk: For one cup of buttermilk, add a tablespoon of vinegar (or lemon juice) to a measuring cup and pour in milk till it reaches the 1 Cup mark. Let it stand undisturbed for 10-15 minutes or till it curdles. Sometimes just a tad bit more vinegar is required.