It’s hot here in Michigan, which is a welcome change from the months of winter that we lived through this past year (seriously, y’all. It snowed in April!!).
My first instinct is to stay inside with the air conditioning cranked down to 70, but I just wanted to be in the sun (weird, I know).
Because it’s been so beautiful out, we’ve spent the majority of our afternoons outside in the shade (thankfully Ish picked up a killer canopy at Costco a few weeks ago) playing with legos and riding bikes.
Which means that we get hot. The blue sky and sunshine are very welcome, but it also means lots of sunscreen, sweaty shirts (and shorts) and lots of demands for popsicles.
Until I ran out. And I wasn’t about to pile all of us into my car to run and get more (because my car was 110 degrees inside).
So I got creative. I had a pineapple, lemons, and sweetener. I had everything I needed to make sorbet. Perfect.
And this sorbet only takes about an hour to freeze. Less if you use frozen pineapple, which is what I happened to have on hand.
Thankfully, my kiddos love anything frozen. Popsicles, sorbets, ice cream, nice cream…you name it, they’ll eat it.
And they are at that age where they can actually help make it-which, I’m sure you know, means they’ll eat more of it.
Which rocks, because pineapple is really good for you.
Benefits of Eating Pineapple
Pineapple is a tropical fruit that has a spiky crown (you’ve seen the quote about being like a pineapple, right?) and juicy, sweet yellow meat.
One cup of pineapple chunks contains only 82 calories and 16 grams of sugar, but minimal sodium and no fat.
I’ll call that a win!
Vitamin C
One serving of pineapple contains the recommended daily value of vitamin C which helps to support your immune system, as well as nearly three-quarters of the daily-recommended value of the mineral manganese.
Manganese
Manganese is used by your body to help maintain strong bones and connective tissue.
Bromelain
Various studies have shown that the core of the pineapple can help reduce inflammation. There are some studies that link bromelain to halting cancer growth, but it’s not been well tested.
3-Ingredient Pineapple Sorbet
- Small whole pineapple or 3 cups frozen pineapple (my preference)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup of xylitol
If you’re using fresh pineapple, you’ll need to peel your pineapple and cut it into rough chunks, or you can use a pineapple corer and chop the coils.
Drop your pineapple (fresh or frozen) into your blender along with the lemon juice and xylitol.
Pulse your blender to begin to break up the pineapple until it becomes more liquid, then blend until everything is mixed well.
Ice Cream Machine Method
Transfer the mixture into an ice cream maker and let it work according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Once you’ve finished churning your sorbet, move it into an airtight container in your freezer to finish chilling for about an hour.
No Churn Method
If you don’t have an ice cream machine, don’t worry. Once you’ve ensured that everything is well blended, transfer your sorbet into a freezer-safe container with a lid and allow to freeze for 2-3 hours.
You should be able to make enough sorbet to feed 6-8 hungry kiddos with just one batch.
You can use the same framework to make mango or berry sorbet, but I highly recommend testing the sorbet mixture for sweetness and adjusting it if needed.
