I love lemons, but I can't stand lemon sorbet – at least not the overly sweet, aggressively sour industrial version that is so often served with cheap vodka as a Coupe Colonel. So, back to the beginning: I love lemons. And you can make lemon sorbet differently. A little yeast and three days of fermentation are all it takes to create an exceptional lemon sorbet that's light, easy to digest and not overly sweet. Fair warning: it may permanently ruin your taste for inferior sorbets.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 litre water

• 400 g raw cane sugar

• 3 unwaxed, untreated lemons

• ½ tsp dried yeast (approx. 2 g)

METHOD

1. Gently warm the water in a saucepan and dissolve the cane sugar in it. Wash the lemons, slice them thinly and add them, together with the seeds and the yeast, to the sugar syrup.

2. Cover the bowl (cling film works well) and leave to ferment at room temperature for about three days.

3. Strain the mixture through a sieve, pressing well to extract all the liquid. Churn it in an ice cream maker, or simply freeze it in a shallow container, stirring every now and then to break up the ice crystals.

4. Serve in chilled glasses or in hollowed-out frozen lemon shells. If using the lemons, return them to the freezer after filling until ready to serve.

RALPH’S TIPS

Fermentation breaks down some of the sugar, creating a beautifully balanced sweetness and acidity.

Who has room for one of those monstrous ice cream machines? I much prefer the homemade texture with little ice crystals. If you're aiming for a granita-like consistency, there's no need to stir the mixture constantly while it freezes.

This recipe also works well with other citrus fruits such as grapefruit or mandarins, although these versions benefit from a little extra acidity in the form of lemon juice.

Images from the book Simple is Best by Ralph Schelling
Instagram: ralph.schelling