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How to Make Sherbet

by Kiteman on January 8, 2006

Table of Contents

intro: How to Make Sherbet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2: Ready to go Back for More Now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 3: How Sherbet Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 4: Sherbet with a Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 5: The Element of Surprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 6: Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Sherbet/
intro: How to Make Sherbet
Make your own sherbet in a few minutes.

step 1: Introduction
In the UK, sherbet is a toothsome powdered treat (usually packaged as a Sherbet Fountain) that ranks right up there with humbugs, aniseed balls and candy cigarettes
as a reminder of our tooth-rotting, sepia-tinted youth. Many an English schoolchild spent his weekly pocket-money on bright yellow cardboard tubes with a length of bright
black liquorice sticking out of the end. Sherbet Fountain? They looked more like sticks of dynamite than sugary water-features!

Was there ever a confectionery as inconvenient as the sherbet fountain? The tube always went soggy, the sticky black liquorice always clogged up after the first suck,
and the whole thing left you wreathed in clouds of dust. You always ended up eating the straw and then slugging the fizzy powder straight from the tube. All this got you
was a nose full of the dust that made you sneeze and a mouth full of fizz that made you cough, yet still you went back for more.

step 2: Ready to go Back for More Now?

Sherbet is a surprisingly easy sweet to make, with only three ingredients and no cooking involved. To make your own sherbet, you will need:

Sugar, usually caster or icing sugar

Bicarbonate of soda (aka sodium hydrogen carbonate, aka 'bicarb')
Powdered or crystalline citric acid (Note 1)

The manufacturing process is quite simple: mix the ingredients together. Just make sure your equipment and ingredients are dry (this is really important). The citric acid
usually comes as dry crystals or powder. If they offer you a liquid form (a solution), just say no! The sherbet begins to dissolve and fizz as soon as it comes in contact with
liquid, so it must stay dry until it touches the tongue.

The hard part is getting the taste right. You change the taste by changing the proportions of the three ingredients. A good place to start is with two teaspoons of sugar,
one teaspoon of citric acid, and half a teaspoon of bicarb.

step 3: How Sherbet Works

To get your recipe perfect, you need to know how sherbet works. The sugar, obviously, is there to make it sweet, and the acid is there to make it tart. The proportion of
sugar to acid is, therefore, governed by your personal tastes.

The acid has a second function, though. With the bicarb, it provides the fizzing sensation on your tongue. When the two powders dissolve in the saliva on your tongue,
they begin to react:

Citric acid + bicarbonate of soda

?
sodium citrate + water + carbon dioxide

It is the carbon dioxide that gives the fizz, forming bubbles directly on your tongue. Changing the proportion of acid to bicarb will change the amount of fizz.

There is another surprise hiding in that simple equation: endothermy (Note 2). It may sound cold and clinical, but the upshot is a pleasant cooling sensation mixed in with
the fizzing sensation.

The permutations are, therefore, almost endless, so make sure you record how you make each batch, and note down what you plan to do next time to improve it. There is
more you can do to your sherbet, though.

step 4: Sherbet with a Twist

Changing the ingredients can give your sherbet that 'certain something'. Trying different types of sugar can change how fast the sweet part of the flavour forms on your
tongue, or even change the actual flavour altogether (Demerara sherbet, anybody?). Part of the flavour is down to the acid as well, and some sherbet makers use a
mixture of citric acid and tartaric acid (Note 3). Adding flavourings also helps, but this is slightly more difficult.

The majority of flavourings available to the home baker are in liquid form, mainly dissolved in water. If you add these to your sherbet, it stops being a powder and starts to
fizz straight away. You need to add dry flavourings. You could add crushed Parma Violets, or powdered cinnamon or other spices. Be creative. Do you like sugar in your
coffee? How about adding instant coffee to your sugar (Note 4)?

There are also ways of flavouring the sugar itself. Vanilla pods, slices of root ginger, lemon grass and mint can all be stored in a jar of sugar for several days to impart
their flavours to the sugar itself (Note 5). Skilful blending of such flavours could prove to be a delight to your friends and acquaintances.

step 5: The Element of Surprise

When tasting your sherbet at the developmental stage, it is best to use a dry teaspoon to pour a little onto the tongue, but, to get the full effect of the finished flavour
(Note 6), sherbet is best served the traditional way; sucked quickly through a straw. The mouth is filled instantly with both flavour and fizz, bringing a nostalgic tear to the
eye.

It is at this point that a sense of mischief can set in. Can you imagine the look on somebody's face as they try your chilli sherbet? The temptation for such practical jokes
is strong, but be cautious. Do it too often, and nobody will try your proper food. Get careless, and you may inflict genuine pain or distress on somebody, especially if they
have an allergy to your secret ingredients. If you must try chilli sherbet on your friends, make sure you have a glass of milk handy to calm their burning tongues.

In short, sherbet is a quick confection that can be made be made with the kids as a treat at the weekends, as a sophisticated gift for your host when invited to a meal, or
as an 'hilarious' gag on your mates down the pub.

Enjoy!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Sherbet/
 step 6: Notes
1 Available from brewing suppliers and good baking outlets; you must use a dry form.

2 Chemical reactions also involve energy changes. Sometimes the change is obvious (such as burning releasing heat, or fireflies' bottoms releasing light), other times it is
less so. The sherbet fizz is endothermic; it absorbs energy in the form of heat, and uses it to split the acid and bicarb molecules into fragments that can rearrange to form
a salt (the citrate), water and carbon dioxide.

3 This researcher has never tried tartaric acid, mainly because of a lack of tartaric acid in the local supermarket.

4 Something else this researcher has yet to try, this time because he's convinced it would taste bad!

5 In fact, sugar has a terrible habit of picking up just about any flavour you leave lying around (never store sugar and household chemicals in the same cupboard!)

6 Try saying that five times, very quickly!

Finally a note of honesty - this is not the first time I have published this online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/A4175228

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Comments
38 comments Add Comment

struckbyanarrow says: Jul 31, 2008. 9:40 PM REPLY

no pictures you should be ashamed of yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kiteman says: Aug 1, 2008. 6:11 AM REPLY

Check the date - this was my first ible.

Anyway, it would only be photos of different-sized piles of white powder.

awang8 says: Dec 19, 2008. 4:41 PM REPLY

True

Gavabc123 says: Apr 6, 2008. 12:20 PM REPLY

sherbet reminds me got to do homework

Kiteman says: Apr 6, 2008. 12:24 PM REPLY

Eh? How does "sherbet" = "homework"?

awang8 says: Dec 19, 2008. 4:41 PM REPLY

Maybe science homework "acid + alkaline = carbon dioxide"?

cowscankill says: Apr 14, 2008. 1:21 PM REPLY

his homework may be about the history of icecream, and when someone added sherbert to icecream :P

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Sherbet/
 omnibot says: Dec 15, 2008. 5:19 PM REPLY
Interresting fact about ice-cream: Margret Thatcher, the iron lady and ruler of Britain during the golden years, was part of the science-team that
developed soft ice-cream.
Bet you didn't know that :)

Gavabc123 says: Dec 15, 2008. 8:22 PM REPLY

I knew about Margret thatcher being an iron lady but no idea about the science team that developed soft ice cream.

Gavabc123 says: Apr 14, 2008. 8:52 PM REPLY

my homework is to write an essay on Global Warming
with the thesis statement, body and a conclusion

the sherbet reminded me because.......

cowscankill says: Apr 15, 2008. 1:26 PM REPLY

You didn't finish the sentance!

Gavabc123 says: Apr 16, 2008. 1:36 AM REPLY

about not finishing the sentence......
well um bye

Clank_95 says: Apr 6, 2008. 5:20 PM REPLY

Very good instructo!
nice and easy while being clear and precise.
thx
+1

Lt. Duct Tape says: Mar 19, 2008. 4:10 PM REPLY

Now i sell this at school in pen tools for 50 cents a pop. some weirdos snort the stuff. Ah well, business is business. Thanks Kiteman!

Kiteman says: Mar 19, 2008. 4:20 PM REPLY

Er, you're welcome.

You have told them that there are no psycho-actives in this? That the "acid" is just vitamin C, not LSD?

Lt. Duct Tape says: Mar 21, 2008. 5:08 PM REPLY

I told them it was just sugar and certain fruit juices. they snort just about everything anyway, so it doesnt matter.

Vendigroth says: Jun 15, 2007. 1:58 PM REPLY

heh. you got it ABsolutely right about the sherbert fountains, the stuff got EVERYWHERE, more ended up on the floor than did in my mouth....sherbert fights
are always fun..i don't think i've had a sherbert fountain for years, since i was 9 or something.
gawd, i sound old

meeze says: Feb 24, 2008. 12:47 PM REPLY

Yup. it gets wet and sticks together in the tube so you cant get it out.

miss nina says: Dec 11, 2007. 1:24 PM REPLY

shrebet is nice cause i like it sour...

miss nina says: Dec 4, 2007. 1:41 PM REPLY

i think this site is cool because it helps you with
food that you want to make love it

Kiteman says: Dec 4, 2007. 2:30 PM REPLY

Why, thank you, Miss Nina. Even better, though, why not show us how to make something you love - I'm looking forward to your first Instructable.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Sherbet/
 Doctor What says: Nov 24, 2007. 5:44 PM REPLY
I've gotten sherbet once, but it was covered in powdered sugar, any reason for that besides taste???

Spl1nt3rC3ll says: Nov 18, 2007. 9:09 AM REPLY

Shurbet is perfect for the Sweet Treat group, Kiteman. I would be honored if you joined it.

Kiteman says: Nov 19, 2007. 11:01 AM REPLY

Thank you for the invitation, and done.

Spl1nt3rC3ll says: Nov 19, 2007. 2:57 PM REPLY

Thanks! I was hoping it didn't sound like spam.

Kiteman says: Nov 20, 2007. 10:45 AM REPLY

Not in the least, plus it was an internal link, so couldn't be proper spam.

bumsugger says: Oct 4, 2007. 2:10 PM REPLY

Thanx Kiteman,I'll give it a shot,and regress a few(?) years,Nice one !

princess-21 says: Sep 17, 2007. 2:38 PM REPLY

You can also add jelly crystals to make it taste better

knex forger says: Aug 3, 2007. 9:31 PM REPLY

can i use tartaric acid instead of citric acid

Kiteman says: Aug 11, 2007. 11:33 AM REPLY

I think so, but I've not tried. It should be OK - try it and let us know.

Kiteman says: Mar 21, 2007. 5:09 PM REPLY

Bomberboy10 - I wrote the article on the BBC website, along with eight other articles accepted for their encyclopedia. That's how I earned my Official Field
Researcher badge.

Maybe you ought to check your facts before you cast any more libellous comments around?

bomberboy10 says: Mar 26, 2007. 1:47 PM REPLY

soz man i didnt no ur pretty cool then ill take it off

bomberboy10 says: Mar 26, 2007. 1:52 PM REPLY

it wont let me take it away

Kiteman says: Mar 26, 2007. 5:12 PM REPLY

It's gone now. All cool.

lemonie says: Mar 8, 2007. 3:23 PM REPLY

Could you give me some proportions? I was tasting my citric acid at the weekend, and never thought of this (dumbkopf!)

Kiteman says: Mar 9, 2007. 5:22 AM REPLY

Start with equal proportions, and take it from there. You will find that "more mature" individuals prefer more acid than younger people, so it is very much
down to personal taste.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Sherbet/
 gtoal says: Mar 2, 2006. 9:56 AM REPLY
Does this work with Splenda? (Sucralose)

radiorental says: Jan 9, 2006. 4:14 PM REPLY

very well written, great instructable. Brought some memories back. Like er.. was it Moondust or Stardust that crackled in your mouth? Luckybags and
WagonWheels. I could murder a Creme Egg right now )o;

Just back from the dentist today... years of tooth abuse as a child has taken its toll

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Sherbet/