This recipe lends itself to seasonal adaptation, and can be made with strawberries, raspberries, marionberries, or blackberries. As berries vary in sweetness, make the full amount of sugar syrup and sweeten the purée to taste with the syrup. The egg white is added to make the sorbetto lighter; if your ice-cream maker has an input spout, gradually add the white while the maker is running.

Steps

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Whisk together and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
2. Purée the berries in a blender. Mix half of the cooled sugar syrup with the berry purée and taste; if mixture is too tart, add more sugar syrup to taste. If you prefer a smooth sorbetto, push the purée through a sieve to remove the seeds. Chill the entire mixture in the refrigerator for several hours.
3. Freeze the mixture in a gelato or ice-cream maker for about 20 minutes according to the manufacturer instructions, adding the egg white when the sorbetto is half frozen. Serve immediately or keep in the freezer until ready to serve.