Magic Bullet Sorbet

Question

I'm trying to create a sorbet using a frozen fruit (specifically strawberries) using the magic bullet. The way that I do it is by literally putting a bunch of frozen, ice-hard strawberries into the bullet and pulsing the bullet for a long time giving it breaks so I don't burn out the motor. I end up with what looks like a strawberry sorbet BUT it tastes empty.

Goal: I want to create a strawberry sorbet which tastes good and is healthy (so I'd love to avoid processed sugar). Also, if there's a faster way to do it other than by pulsing the magic bullet forever that would be awesome too!

Current Developments: I've tried adding lemon juice, it made it a bit better but it still had a hollow ice flavour.

Answer

Almost any normal sorbet recipe will contain a decent amount of sugar, and strawberries are no exception. I'd guess probably 1/2-2/3 cup per pound of strawberries. Use a substitute if you have an aversion - honey, agave, raw cane sugar, whatever you prefer. (Of course, anything liquid is going to contain some water, and cause a bit of ice, but it's still doable.) A sorbet without any extra sugar, even when frozen normally in an ice cream maker, is going to end up with a very icy texture, which will probably keep you from experiencing the flavor as much. The sugar helps soften it.

The other common way to soften a sorbet is alcohol. Rosé wine (thank you, David Lebovitz) works quite well in a strawberry sorbet. Vodka can be your go-to liquor for any impromptu sorbet with other fruits, since it'll add alcohol without any flavors that clash. Beyond that, either look for recipes, or look for mixed drinks containing the fruit you're using.

You might also be having problems simply because your strawberries aren't that great. Did you freeze them, or were they storebought? If you bought the strawberries yourself, you'd know they were decent before freezing, while not all storebought frozen fruit is as flavorful.

Finally, it's possible that your frozen strawberries collected some extra water in the form of frost, which then makes your sorbet icier. If there are obvious big chunks you could scrape them off.

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