Sherbets and Sorbets: Is There a Difference?

Summertime is now officially here. Everything is heating up and so is our appetites, so why not add a little sweetness and flavor to it! One way to cool our appetites is, of course, to eat something that does not require heat; let's try sherbet, or perhaps sorbet!

What is so good about sherbets and sorbets are that they are both frozen desserts. The difference is that sherbet has milk in it. The dairy taste is very present in it. Ice cream enthusiasts will automatically know the difference. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, sherbet should have at least one to two percent of milk fat in the finished production. Sorbet is similar to sherbet-it contains flavored syrup, but unlike sherbet, it does not contain dairy ingredients. That should be good news for the lactose intolerant.

Here in North America, sherbets and sorbets begin with the sugar syrup. It is only natural that sugar and water are part of the ingredient as well as fruit juice, milk and/or wine. In addition to these essential ingredients, herbs, spices, and/or the infusion of flowers are included in the base syrup. However, if there is a little more than enough sugar in the sorbet, then it stands a greater chance of not freezing to its normal state. The best sorbets are made from just water, sugar, and some sort of flavoring. But, some of these recipes call for the usage of egg whites, or gelatin, which will act as stabilizers, particularly sorbets. It melts very fast and also it is used when fruits have a high level of pectin. At times, the egg whites are included to act as meringue, as in some of the higher-end sorbets.

There is some rich history that is involved with sherbets and sorbets. When most individuals think about sherbets, he/she immediately think about the orange sherbet. But during the 1980s and 1990s, people had regained their interest in sorbets. Tradition was almost out of the question. What is considered to be the traditional sorbet flavors? Lemon, lime or champagne. Sorbets were suddenly converted into vanilla or even chocolate. The purpose of this conversion: to have competition with the typical ice creams that are lurking the freezer.

Unlike regular ice creams, sherbets and sorbets are lower in fat. But their sugar base gives these tasty slushies a higher sugar content and higher in calories than most people would perceive. However, the milk that is contained in sherbets does not have an ample amount of fat, protein, vitamins and mineral. Sherbets and sorbets that are composed mainly from fruits contain very little vitamin C. But in order to reap the "real" benefits of vitamin C, he/she would have to eat over half of the container!

After all, there is very little difference between sherbets and sorbets. Bottom line: this stuff tastes very good, but not a requirement for keeping the body healthy and functioning properly.

Source:

http://www.enotes.com/food-encyclopedia/sherbet-sorbet