Vegetables have been a big focus for our family over the past few weeks. After months of winter comfort food, we all needed fresh produce, stat. We’ve been enjoying carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, and greens. Well, maybe mostly enjoying would be more accurate. To add a little fun to the vegetable mix, I thought we’d try making vegetable sorbets. My daughters were definitely intrigued.

Don’t get me wrong – besides the fresh vegetables, sorbet has a good amount of sugar (sugar raises the freeze point and keeps the sorbet from turning to ice), so it’s still firmly in the dessert category. Even so, this recipe is a good way to show kids that vegetables can be fun! The carrot sorbet is lightly flavored with a hint of carrot and sweet citrus overtones. The beet sorbet has lots of beet flavor and contrasts the earthy notes of beets with sweet ones – it’s more vegetable forward than the carrot. Together, they make for a knockout flavor combination that’s perfect for spring.

For the Carrot Sorbet
Makes 1 quart

• 5 young carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups water, plus more for cooking carrots
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• Pinch sea salt

1. Set carrot in a sauce pan and cover with water. Cover, and place over high heat. Cook just until carrots are fork tender, 7 – 10 minutes. Drain and briefly set aside to cool.

2. In the pitcher of a blender, combine the cooked and cooled carrots, water, sugar, citrus juices, corn syrup, and sea salt, and blend until smooth.

3. Pour into jars, and chill completely – 2 hours or more. For faster results, immerse jars in an ice bath.

4. Process sorbet according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Spoon into a freezer-proof dish, and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Sorbet will keep well for 5 days in the freezer.

For the Beet Sorbet
Makes 1 quart

• 2 medium beets, scrubbed (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups water, plus more for cooking beets
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed clementine or orange juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• Pinch sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove any greens from beets, but leave tops in place. Set beets in a small, deep baking dish, add water to a 1/4-inch depth, and cover with foil. Roast until beets pierce easily with a fork, roughly 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Under cold running water, peel skins off of beets. Trim tops and roots, and rough chop.

3. In the pitcher of a blender, combine the chopped beets, water, sugar, citrus juices, corn syrup, and sea salt, and blend until smooth.

4. Pour into jars, and chill completely – 2 hours or more. For faster results, immerse jars in an ice bath.

5. Process sorbet according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Spoon into a freezer-proof dish, and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Sorbet will keep well for 5 days in the freezer.

Enjoy :)