Helen Carnes' Apricot Sherbet
A 100-year-old vintage recipe for creamy, refreshing sherbet that cooled Midwest summers and made attic afternoons bearable
This week, I’m sharing another 100-year-old vintage recipe from Mom Carnes’s recipe book. If you’re questioning my spelling of Sherbet, it is spelled correctly. I won the spelling bees as a kid, but I was sure an ‘r’ was missing. I would have lost that round!
Pronounced ‘SHER-but’, Sherbet is a sweet, creamy frozen dessert made from fruit, fruit juices, cream, and often egg whites. It is lower in calories than ice cream but still dairy-rich. For a dairy-free version, omit cream and egg whites for sorbet.
In the U.K., Sherbert refers to a fizzy drink. So if you want something creamy and cool, practice saying Sherbet!
My dad would drive us cross-country from California to Wisconsin, Missouri, and Indiana to visit my mom’s family. When we were little, it seemed like we did this every summer. But I can’t be sure. It could have been every other year.
We had a Volkswagen bus. It was blue. Something like this.
My dad would fill the far back seat/trunk with our puffy 1970s outdoor lounge chair cushions - that’s what we slept on as he drove.
He drove straight through, barely stopping except for quick breaks. Back on the bus went the three daughters. Surely we never fought the whole trip, haha. My poor mom. I don’t know how she managed three kids in a small bus for two days straight. She was probably ready to jump in the lake or mix a cocktail upon arrival!
We visited family in each state—grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins. Every visit meant food, family gatherings, and Sunday suppers. Cooking started early and lasted all day. This family could cook! I don’t remember a bad meal except once when Grandpa tried to give me frog legs disguised as chicken. I was about 10 or 12 and knew something was off, so I didn’t eat much, but running around my Aunt’s ranch collecting lightning bugs helped me recover.
(Yes, I do regret collecting lightning bugs, but I was a kid, and we didn’t know then what a bad idea that was for nature.)
Midwest summers are warm! When we arrived at Mom Carnes’s home, we were excited to see her and to hang out in the special place she’d created for us in the attic. When we arrived, my sister and I ran up to Mom Carnes, gave her a big hug and kiss, then ran up the stairs. I grabbed a Nancy Drew book, plopped down on one of the beds, and started daydreaming. It was midday. It was hot in the attic. Grandma knows. We hear her holler, ‘Ice cream!’ At the speed of light, we run down the stairs, and she hands my sister and me a bowl of orange sherbet. It was delicious.
Mom Carnes was a wonderful cook who grew up on a farm. Almost everything she made, including Sherbet, was homemade. I wouldn’t be surprised if she picked fruit herself to make it. It’s a good memory.
Before we start the recipe, it’s important to remember that they didn’t have Kitchen-Aid mixers, immersion blenders, or ice cream makers back then. They used what was available—the bowls and spoons in their kitchen. Feel free to do the same, or if you want a new tool, check out the choices listed in the Tools section below. Ready to make Sherbet? Stay cool and happy making!
Helen Carnes’ Apricot Sherbet
Serves 8
Kitchen Tools
Freezer Storage Tubs, Glass Bowls with Lids, or Loaf Pans
Ingredients
1 pound of apricots, the riper the sweeter
1 cup water
3 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup cream
4 egg whites
Instructions
Cut the apricots in half down the center to remove the pit and coarsely chop.
In a heavy medium saucepan, add the apricots and water and cook slowly over medium to medium-low heat until they break down, about 10-20 minutes. Cool.
Using an immersion blender, puree the apricots until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Adjust sugar to taste. Pour into a bowl, then chill for about 2 hours.
Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour the apricot mix into a pan, then slide it into the freezer to firm up for about 1 hour. Add a mixing bowl to the freezer to cool.
Remove the apricots and the bowl from the freezer. Add the apricots and cream to the bowl, then beat at low to medium speed until soft and light.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the apricot mix until combined.
Spoon the apricot mix into your storage container. I used loaf pans. It’s what I had on hand and reminds me of the gelato containers I’ve seen in the Italian gelaterias, but you can use a large bowl, a casserole dish, whatever you have in the kitchen.
Place the pans on a baking sheet, then freeze for 2 hours or more.
When ready to serve, remove from the freezer to soften for 10-15 minutes.
Once again such a great story about my family and the history of growing up with visiting our relatives and having many good meals
This is is such a happy way to go back and visit the memories of my life
Thank you