Strawberry Sherbet

An ingredient list for a cooked-base sherbet: cornstarch and whole egg give it the body the headnote describes. A few notes on quantities, technique and freezing.

• A pint of pulpThat means a pint of crushed, sieved berries, not a pint measure of whole ones. Reckon on 1 1/2 to 2 lb of hulled strawberries mashed and pushed through a sieve to yield the pint.
• The cornstarch baseCornstarch of this era was essentially the same product sold now. Whisk it into the cold water and sugar, bring it to a boil and cook two to three minutes so the starch loses its raw flavour and fully gelatinises; it must actually boil to thicken properly.
• Adding the eggBeat the egg, temper it with a little of the hot starch mixture, then return it to the pan and cook gently below simmering until it thickens slightly. Boiling after the egg goes in will curdle it and leave grainy specks in the finished sherbet.
• Fruit goes in coldChill the cooked base thoroughly before stirring in the strawberry pulp and vanilla. Hot syrup dulls the colour and the fresh flavour of raw berries.
• FreezingThe book most likely assumes a hand-cranked freezer, though it does not say so. In an ice cream machine, churn 20 to 30 minutes; still-frozen in a shallow pan, beat it smooth two or three times as it sets, at roughly 45-minute intervals, or the cornstarch base will freeze into a solid block.
• Do not cut the sugarA cup of sugar to a pint of pulp reads sweet, but sugar is what keeps the mixture scoopable. Reducing it gives a hard, icy sherbet rather than the ice-cream consistency the headnote promises.
• YieldAbout a quart, enough for four to six small servings. If you follow the suggestion of cantaloupe halves, allow one half-melon per person and scoop out the seeds well ahead so the shells can chill.