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Thawing frozen blackcurrant puree... to make sorbet?

1K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  french fries 
#1 · (Edited)
I was given Sicoly frozen blackcurrant puree (Ingredients: blackcurrant, granulated sugar.) The taste is out of this world (the strongest blackcurrant flavor I've ever tasted short of eating them right off the bush - but those who've tried that know that that's usually not a pleasant experience), but the texture is ... like one big ice cube that has the shape of the box it came in.

I'm thinking of thawing it overnight in my fridge and then passing it through my ice cream maker just to get the texture of a sorbet. I'm not planning any additions.

Of course on the label it says in big "DO NOT THAW AND RE-FREEZE"... but I can't imagine how that could be an issue, as long as I keep it in the fridge during the thawing process and don't wait more than 24 hours to freeze it again.

Whaddya think?

 
#2 ·
Only one way to find out. The warning not to refreeze probably has more to do with ensuring the texture of their product as is but since you will be altering that texture by processing it in the ice cream maker anyway I don't see the big deal. Hope it turns out well!
 
#3 ·
What I do with frozen purees, frozen eggs and the like is to "soften" the whole package a bit at room temp for maybe half an hour, then saw it into pieces with a beater serrated knife, wrap up the pieces, and put the remaining chunks back into the freezer.

With many of the frozen purees that have 10% sugar added, I just "soften" the package for a bit, then carve out chunks from the package, and pop the package back in the freezer.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the answer!

@foodpump the goal is to portion the fruit puree so you can later thaw just what's needed? In my case I want to make something out of that puree...

Anyway the puree is thawed by now, I'm going to turbinate it and we'll see what happpens.

BTW saw a recipe on the manufacturer's website where they thaw the product, make eskimos out of it and back in the freezer it goes, so that reassures me regarding the thawing/re-freezing issue.
 
#5 ·
Most likely it has more to do with them trying to cover their butts food safety wise than anything. I don't expect a loss of flavor or texture if you thaw/refreeze it a few times. They are most likely trying to ensure that it doesn't spend extra time in the temp danger zone. 

You'll be fine. 

Many, many places use those as a base for sorbets and ice creams with no issues. 
 
#6 ·
Most likely it has more to do with them trying to cover their butts food safety wise than anything.
Yeah that's what I'm thinking too.

It's turbinating now. I just tasted it and it's a bit on the acidic side even though it's sweet... not sure if I was supposed to mix it with something to make sorbet. It was so good on its own, except for the texture, that I thought I'd try to not add anything at all, but the flavor is really intense... oh well we'll see what the results are.

Maybe I should have learned how to do sorbets first? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif
 
#7 ·
Usually sorbets with those types of things are just a matter of adding sugar syrup and whatever other flavoring you want to make it. The sugar will help the sorbet not to be too icy, as will a small amount of alcohol. Too much and then your sorbet stays too soft and won't freeze properly. Remember too that the freezing process will dull some of the flavor too, so while your sorbet base might be a touch too sweet or acidic, when it is churned the flavor lessens. 
 
#8 ·
Usually sorbets with those types of things are just a matter of adding sugar syrup and whatever other flavoring you want to make it. The sugar will help the sorbet not to be too icy, as will a small amount of alcohol. Too much and then your sorbet stays too soft and won't freeze properly. Remember too that the freezing process will dull some of the flavor too, so while your sorbet base might be a touch too sweet or acidic, when it is churned the flavor lessens.
Cool, thanks @Someday. I knew that about the sugar, but didn't know about the other flavors like acidic, so that's good news. I had the kids taste it before putting it in the freezer and they absolutely loved it, but they love super-intense flavors, super-sugary, super-acidic.. they like to eat lemons like you and I eat an orange.

So anyway, I shall return in a few to let you know how it was. :)
 
#10 ·
Let thaw and run through a food mill, finest blade. Anything dubious stays in the mesh. Then use the coulis (the result) as your base. For sweetening, try blackcurrant jam. The unfrozen mixture should be just a hair sweeter than you want the end-result to be. If it seems dull and blah, put in a small pinch of salt and a small squeeze of lemon juice. Then process.


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#12 ·
Ok so after a few days it has hardened more, although it's not as bad as it was before I processed it, but not as smooth and creamy as it was right after I processed it.

I believe next time I will try adding a little bit of alcohol as suggested here to keep the sorbet smooth and creamy.
 
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