One of the greatest Fall treasures to come out of the Eastern Virginia Region, Hard Apple Cider! We simply combine some cider into the sorbet base from our book of recipes and let the fermented apples & hops carefully coalesce into vegan, sorbet magic. We loved it so much, we had to share with you. Make sure to send us any photos of your homemade scoops on social!

Hopped Apple Cider Sorbet

Make about 1 pint

½ cup water

¼ c Reverend Nat’s Revival Cider (can sub additional juice or non-alcoholic cider, if preferred)

¼ tsp mosaic hop pellets (about 3-4 pieces)

1½ cups apple juice

1 tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp citric acid

1 ½ cups Sorbet Base (recipe follows)

• Heat the water and cider up to a boil. Boil for 1 minutes, then turn off heat. Add the hop pellets and let steep for 15 minutes.
• Strain the hop water into the sorbet base. Add the apple juice, salt and citric acid. Whisk to combine. Let sit for 4-6 hours.  When base has cooled, pour into the ice cream maker and churn just until the mixture has the texture of frozen smoothie, about 25 to 35 minutes.
• Scoop sorbet into containers. Cover with parchment paper, pressing it to the surface of the sorbet so it adheres, then cover with a lid. It’s okay if the parchment hangs over the rim. Store it in the coldest part of your freezer (furthest from the door) until firm, at least 6 hours. It will keep for up to 3 months.

Sorbet Base

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon xanthan gum

¼ cup light corn syrup

• Stir together the sugar and xanthan gum in a small bowl. Combine 1¼ cups water and the corn syrup in a small saucepan. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth (don’t fret over a few lumps). Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool completely.

• Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until cold, at least 4 hours, or up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 year. (Just be sure to fully thaw it and stir well before using it.)