My favorite fruit? Blood oranges.

The name delights me. It’s unnecessarily violent, but perfectly descriptive. Can you imagine a Marketing team thinking this was the name that would sell? Likely not. Or maybe there was no thought put into it at all. Maybe we’ve just adopted a common description as the name and, well, why not if it fits. Cara cara and navel oranges are easy to confuse based on appearance. A blood orange - that’s much more identifiable.

If you’ve never had a blood orange, seek them out. They’re delightfully tart, just sweet enough, and are a step ahead of just about every other citrus. They’re also versatile - substitute in any recipe calling for oranges or orange juice. I use them in salads, vinaigrettes, pies, cakes, jams, and here, I use them in a sorbet with my current beer obsession, Berliner Weisse.

This recipe falls flat when using packaged fruit; freshly squeezed juice provides a vibrancy and flavor not found in the store bought kind. Go ahead and substitute with regular orange juice if that’s what’s on hand; just be sure to taste for sweetness as the sugar levels vary depending on the variety and season. Not into sugar? This can also be substituted. Try agave or honey, starting with half of what the recipe calls for in sugar, and sweeten to your liking.

Adapted from an original recipe by David Lebovitz

Steps

1. 1 ½ cups freshly squeezed blood orange juice
2. ½ cup Berliner Weisse
3. ⅓ cup sugar
   

1. Juice the oranges. I use a hand held orange squashing mechanism, but just about any juicing technique will work here. Add 1 part beer to 3 parts juice.
2. For every cup of liquid, measure ¼ cup granulated sugar. Pour sugar into a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add a few tablespoons of juice to fully saturate; stir frequently until sugar completely dissolves.
3. Pour into the remaining juice and stir until well combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. 
   
4. Prepare according to the ice cream maker’s instructions. Garnish with mint and serve immediately. If saving, cover tightly with two layers of plastic wrap and place in the freezer; allow to sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.