Wineberries: It's no secret I adore these little wild jewels. I have been picking these beautiful berries as long as I can remember. I have a few wineberry recipes I love to make during their fleeting season, and this sorbet is at the top of the list. This wineberry sorbet is just sweet enough, perfectly tart, and so refreshing - a reward for picking berries on a hot, humid Virginia summer day. And it is incredibly simple to make with just 3 main ingredients.
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Where the wild things grow
Wineberries grow wild here in rural Northern Virginia and I look forward to them every year. They grow all over our 11 acres, mostly along the edges of wooded areas as well as in the forests. My dad and I always picked wineberries together here and I miss that time with him so much it makes my heart ache. I can still hear him saying in his silliest voice, "oh, I think we've hit the motherload," when he'd find the perfect cluster of ripe berries - always just out of reach. He'd go deep into the brambles and come out all scratched to bits with a big bowl of shiny berries and an even bigger grin. It is a memory and an image I will always cherish.
This wineberry sorbet was his favorite way to enjoy them and I'd make it for him every year. This is the first year I've made it since he died and as you might imagine it was very emotional. Ripping off the bandage - Like a grief exercise a therapist might prescribe. It's the same with picking the berries now, too - A silent, solitary, communing-with-nature-and-with-my-dad's-spirit sort of thing. It is magical and bittersweet, heartbreaking but beautiful.
Wineberry Sorbet is so simple to make
You'll need just 3 main ingredients: berries, lemon juice, and simple syrup plus a pinch of salt.
Simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water cooked until the sugar dissolves. You can make the simple syrup days or even weeks in advance and keep it in the refrigerator.
I use a blender to buzz up the berries but you could also use a food processor. If you were totally opposed to pulling out the heavy machinery, you could mash them in a bowl and strain them. Then it's just a matter of combining the strained berry juices, the simple syrup, the lemon juice, and a tiny pinch of salt.
What is the difference between wineberry and raspberry?
Wineberries are an Asian species of raspberry. They are also known as Japanese wineberries, wine raspberries, and dewberries. While they belong to the same genus, they are quite different in my opinion. Wineberries are smaller and less hairy than raspberries. Also, wineberries are juicier and more tart. I love raspberries, but I think wineberries are more complex in flavor - more tart and floral - than raspberries.
Can I make this sorbet with other berries?
Yes! I realize wineberries are not available everywhere and even where they grow, they are only available for a short window. Feel free to sub in raspberries (red, gold, or black) or blackberries.
Do I need an ice cream maker to make wineberry sorbet?
I always make this in an ice cream maker as I feel it gives the best texture. This is my tried and true favorite: Cuisinart Ice-100 Ice Cream Maker. But, if you don't have an ice cream maker you can make this in the style of a granita. It will be icier, but still really delicious. Once you make the sorbet mixture, place it in the freezer in a baking dish or other shallow container. Every 30 minutes or so, remove sorbet pan from freezer and use a fork to break up, stir, and smash chunks of sorbet. Smooth and even out sorbet before returning to the freezer. Repeat stirring process until mixture is complete frozen. Make sure to really smash after scraping to get a more creamy, less icy texture.
Raise your hand if you love wineberries!
I realize this is a very niche topic/recipe but I have found a few wineberry lovers in other parts of the country via this blog and on instagram and I'd love to meet more, even if just virtually. Drop me a line below and let me know if you've ever heard of wineberries or if you love them as much as I do. Happy berry picking!
xo - Anita
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Wineberry Sorbet
This Wild Wineberry Sorbet is just sweet enough, perfectly tart, so refreshing and incredibly simple to make with just 3 main ingredients!
- Total Time: 10 minutes plus churning
- Yield: about 3 cups
Ingredients
- 4 cups wineberries
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup simple syrup (see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Combine berries and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain this mixture through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Add 1 cup simple syrup and salt to wineberry mixture.
Chill in refrigerator until completely cool. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.- It takes about 30 minutes in my Cuisinart Ice-100 Ice Cream Maker
Notes
Simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar boiled until the sugar has dissolved. So 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water. This will make more than you need for this recipe but you can use the extra in cocktails or iced tea/coffee. I have found that ¾ cup water to ¾ cup sugar gets pretty close to 1 cup simple syrup with just a tiny bit extra.
If you don't have an ice cream maker you can make this in the style of a granita. It will be icier, but still really delicious. Once you make the sorbet mixture, place it in the freezer in a baking dish or other shallow container. Every 30 minutes or so, remove sorbet pan from freezer and use a fork to break up, stir, and smash chunks of sorbet. Smooth and even out sorbet before returning to the freezer. Repeat stirring process until mixture is complete frozen. Make sure to really smash after scraping to get a more creamy, less icy texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes plus churning
- Category: ice cream, dessert
Dan Whipps says
I just returned from yet another, hot, sweaty, scratchy wonderful morning picking wineberries just outside Baltimore MD. I usually have one of my 4 daughters with me but with two of my girls having moved away and the other two with newborn kids of their own now, it's tough to get out there. So I was solo : (
I have always made jam, used on yogurt with my granola, we make lemon raspberry tarts, and I freeze them (on a baking sheet until they are frozen hard if course) then vacuum sealed and they are good all year.
They are most certainly not the easiest fruit to gather, but the effort is matched by the one of a kind flavor and texture. And I think that effort makes them all the sweeter.
Nate says
I spent the afternoon yesterday perhaps somewhere near you picking wineberries with my son. While I picked, I thought about picking berries with my mother as a boy. Your writing, poignant and heartfelt as the berries themselves, welled the tears of beautiful memory this morning. I will make your sorbet for him today. In gratitude. Nate.
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Nate - Your kind, heartfelt comment brought tears to my eyes. It means so much to me that my words touched you and that you'll be making this recipe with your son. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. This means so much to me. - Anita