Summertime is certainly the season for frozen desserts, however on a steamy hot day, sometimes an italian ice or a sorbet can be more refreshing than ice cream.  Sorbets, widely used by the french for a palat cleanser between courses, have made their way into the western culture as a stand alone frozen treat in a variety of flavors.  And whats more, they are extremely easy to make at home.  Most sorbets consist of simply fruit, sugar and water and when this balance is right, the result can be invigorating.

In this Episode, Steve Christensen, The Ice Cream Bloke, throws together a Strawberry Banana sorbet that not only is simple to make, but had a flavor profile that is cool and refreshing.

New England’s King of Ice Cream

A trip to Herrell’s Ice Cream in Northampton MA is like a visit to Ice Cream Royalty. Hard scoop ice cream in the North East is extremely prevalent over other types of Ice Cream such as Frozen Custards and Frozen Yoghurts that are popular in other parts of the Country.

And anyone who is in Ice Cream in the North East is well aware of Steve Herrell’s reputation as a pioneer of Ice Cream in that neck of the woods. It started with Steve’s Ice Cream in 1973, which opened to lines so long that he ran out of ice cream each day for the first couple of days before he regrouped and reopened ready for the masses.

He replicated his success with the opening of Herrell’s Ice Cream in 1980. The lines of people and the quality of the ice cream were eerily re-created all of those years later. Ice Cream in simple, traditional and unique flavors is made on the premises in full “view of the queue” and the volume Herrell’s scoops through is high enough to keep the ice cream fresh and creamy with each visit. Homemade fudges and sauces are the perfect topping to an already near-perfect ice cream product.

A trip to Northampton would not be complete without a trip to Herrell’s

You’ll be yellin’ for Watermelon

Nothing screams summer more than biting into a ripe juicy slice of watermelon, the juice running down your arm and onto your foot. The sweet refreshing taste of watermelon is mainly due to its physical makeup; 92% water and 8% sugar.

So for Ice Cream lovers all around the country, incorporating freshly picked and cut watermelon into a homemade ice cream treat is the perfect combination. Steve’s recipe for this mouthwatering treat is easy to follow and the end result will take you back to sitting on the front porch spitting seeds onto the lawn.