210 minutes
A refreshing frozen treat made from tangerines, perfect for hot days.
Tangerines, washed and dried
0 lb
cups
to taste
Salt, tiny pinch
teaspoons
Armagnac, optional, for variation
teaspoons
1. Wash and dry tangerines
Start by washing and drying your tangerines or mandarins thoroughly. Once they are clean and dry, take two tangerines and grate their zest into a small saucepan.
2. Juice tangerines
Next, juice enough tangerines to yield 2.25 cups of juice. Pour 0.5 cup of this juice into the saucepan with the zest, along with 0.33 cup of sugar. Heat the mixture gently, stirring continuously until the sugar completely dissolves.
3. Combine juice
Combine the sugar-infused juice with the remaining juice in a mixing bowl. Taste the mixture and, if needed, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a tiny pinch of salt, and more sugar if it’s not sweet enough to your liking.
4. Freeze mixture
Pour this mixture into a shallow, nonreactive pan and place it in the freezer. After about an hour, take it out and give it a good stir to break up any large ice crystals.
5. Stir and freeze
After another two hours, or once the mixture becomes slushy, stir it again. When it’s solid but not too hard, chop the ice into smaller pieces and transfer it to a chilled container.
6. Variation
For a delightful variation, you can turn this into a sherbet by increasing the sugar to 0.5 cup, chilling the mixture well, and then freezing it in an ice-cream maker. Alternatively, add 1 teaspoon of Armagnac or Cognac for a sophisticated flavor twist.
7. Special presentation
For a special presentation, scrape the membranes from tangerine halves and freeze them. Once your treat is ready, scoop it into these frozen tangerine bowls for a charming and refreshing serving option.
Freshly squeezed tangerine juice will give you a much brighter and more vibrant flavor than store-bought. If tangerines are out of season, you can substitute with another type of sweet citrus, like clementines or mandarins.
Adjust the sweetener to the tartness of the tangerine juice. Start with a small amount and taste as you go. Remember, flavors dull slightly when frozen, so the mixture should be a tad sweeter than you'd want it at room temperature.
Make sure to zest only the colored part of the citrus skin and avoid the white pith. The zest contains essential oils that pack a lot of flavors and aromatic qualities. Zesting directly into the mixture will capture these oils immediately.
For an even deeper citrus flavor, you can briefly simmer the zest with the water and then let it steep before cooling and adding the juice. This extracts more flavor from the zest.
Adding a splash of alcohol lowers the freezing point, which can prevent the treat from becoming too icy. Just a tablespoon or two will suffice; you don't want to taste the alcohol, just benefit from its effect on the texture.
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