Super Smooth Rockmelon Sorbet
super smooth Rockmelon Sorbet
I was just getting into the stride of using my ice cream churn last summer when Melbourne’s weather turned foul. I have no such excuses in Brisbane, it’s been serious gelato weather since we arrived. The over whelming success of my experimentation with dairy free chocolate sorbet made according to Australia’s Sicilian gelato guru Nick Palumbo of Gelato Messina fame earlier this year led me straight back to his book for something fruity. I chose the rockmelon sorbet.
Gelato Messina is a geeky sort of recipe book. At first glance it looks a bit intimidating, listing sugar percentages, exact temperatures and times plus the ingredient lists includes various simplified sugars that are not everyday kitchen ingredients. I assure you though, they’re worth an online purchase, you will make super smooth gelato as reward for effort.
When I made the chocolate sorbet recipe last year, I weighed every ingredient to the gram, watched the sugar thermometer like a hawk and set the kitchen timer to announce each step. I was feeling intimidated. This time I was more relaxed, although not brave enough to alter the ingredients.
Once again the result was outstanding. The flavour of my rockmelon sorbet was fresh and fruity, but not too sweet, the texture smooth and creamy.
Before you start, put the bowl and paddle from your ice cream churn and a metal container into the freezer.
Rockmelon is also known as canteloupe and netted melon.
Rockmelon Sorbet
600g rockmelon puree, about 1/2 peeled and deseeded
200mls water
155g castor sugar
40g dextrose (glucose powder)
5g xantham gum
Peel a deseed half a rockmelon. weigh 600g of rockmelon chunks then puree the fruit until smooth. Set aside 400g puree in the fridge.
Whisk together the powders, the sugar, dextrose and xantham gum in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine the water and 200g of melon puree in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water and warm to 40C degrees.
Whisk in the dry ingredients into the warm liquid, and continue whisking until the mixture reaches 65C, another 2-3 minutes
Set the bowl of warmed ingredients over an ice bath and continue whisking until the temperature drops back to 40C degrees, again just a few minutes.
Place the mixture in the freezer and allow the temperature to drop to 4C degrees. The time will depend on your freezer but mine took about 50 minutes. Whisk the mixture every 10 minutes to prevent ice crystals forming on the bowl.
Whisk the remaining 400 mls of rockmelon puree into the sorbet base, then chill the mixture in the fridge for 4 hours to cure.
Pour the rockmelon sorbet into your ice cream machine and churn until the mixture is -4C degrees.
Pour the mixture into a chilled stainless steel container and freeze to -15C degrees, 3-4 hours.
The sorbet is now ready to serve.
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22 comments on “Super Smooth Rockmelon Sorbet”
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Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Please Pass the Recipe 
Delicious! I was just heading to Google when you explained that rockmelon = canteloupe. Ah, summer, how I miss you. I keep meaning to try all the different gums and sugars in ice cream. Maybe next year…
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I was reluctant to go down the gums and sugars path until I did some reading and was satisfied there were no nasties involved. I’m astounded how much smoother a water and fruit sorbet is, they inhibit the formation of large ice crystals
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Sounds delicious Sandra. I used to make a cold soup with cream and rock melon that was delicious too.
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What I love about this is the total absence of dairy, and no one would ever know. Like the sound of your soup…
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Wow, that sure is an elaborate recipe, Sandra. When I make ice cream or sorbet, I just prepare a mixture and pour it into my ice cream maker. With very nice results. I may have to do an experiment to find out the difference.
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While the recipe may sound complex in fact it’s quite quick and simple. It is however very precise. It’s all about minimizing the formation of ice crystals
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PS If you do run a comparison, don’t compare this recipe to ice cream with cream and egg yolks. Compare it to sorbet.
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Naturally. I would compare it to my usual sorbet recipe with fruit, water, and sugar.
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I love canteloupe and this sounds wonderful!
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Very refreshing and actually quite a simple recipe
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Tops photo Mrs R. Adore the orange, not a fan of rockmelon but love sorbet. I mean, who doesn’t??
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Thanks Cheery. You know I never used to like rockmelon much either, but now it almost top of the fruit list…
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Delicious looking recipe. Another one to pin for next summer. We grow rockmelons in our garden and I never thought to use them in a sorbet.
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I’m in awe, rockmelons in your garden. You’ll love this
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Rockmelon is an awesome name for a sorbet. Lovely recipe. Thank you. xo
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It’s a pleasure…
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Gosh, this sounds refreshing. I’m pinning it for next summer. It will be perfect on one of those hot August evenings … er … January evenings. 😉
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Perfect for summer John…
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Inspiring .
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Ta…
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what a perfect summer recipe – this would be a lovely finale on Christmas day.
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Definitely, fresh delicious and not at all indulgent
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