Sorbets with herb infusions

[paulraphael]

I recently made a plum and rosemary sorbet, and was surprised by the intensity of the rosemary flavor. I used 10 grams of rosemary per 1000g of mix, and infused the herbs, un-minced, in the syrup when I cooked it. I had actually been afraid that the flavor would be weak, since rosemary seems more soluble in fats, and likes to be simmered for a while.

A couple of days ago I ran into a research chemist who's a partner in an artisinal soda company. He explained this phenomenon. Aparently sugar syrup, if it's strong enough, is a powerful solvent for aromatic oils ... comparable to alcohol. He finds that it not only makes stronger infusions than water alone, but that it draws off a somewhat different flavor profile.

I plan to experiment much more with this. Next batch of sorbet will include less rosemary ...

FWIW,

the syrup infusion I made included, in addition to the 10g rosemary,

200g water


75g granulated sugar

40g glucose syrup

12g trimoline