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Mango and Passion Fruit Sorbet, plus Three Fruit Variations
Short answer. To make mango and passion fruit sorbet in a Sana juicer, toss mango cubes in strained granadilla juice, freeze them on a tray, let them soften for about five minutes, then feed them through the homogenising screen of a Sana 707, 727 or 929, or the sorbet screen of the 878. Mango is creamy enough on its own, so there is no banana and no cream: just fruit, with a spoonful of fresh granadilla pulp on top. Below are the full recipe and three variations on the same idea: pineapple, mint and lime; mixed berry with a date; and a few quicker pairings.
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Sorbet without banana
Most juicer soft-serve leans on frozen banana to make it creamy. That works well, and our guides to sorbet in a Sana juicer and frozen treats for summer are built on it. The recipes here go the other way. They are fruit sorbets in the stricter sense, with no banana, so each one tastes sharply of its main fruit.
The trade-off is texture. Fruit with more body (mango, ripe berries, a soft date) gives a smooth, scoopable sorbet. Watery, fibrous fruit such as pineapple gives something lighter and slightly icier, closer to a soft granita. Both are good; they are just different.
The method is the same as the basic sorbet guide, so we won’t repeat it in full here. In short: freeze the fruit in small pieces, let it soften on the counter until the edges just give, fit the blank screen and feed slowly. If anything goes wrong with the texture, the troubleshooting list in that guide covers it.
| Sana model | Screen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sana 707 | Homogenising (blank) screen | The manual says never to use completely frozen fruit, so let it soften first |
| Sana 727 Supreme | Homogenising screen | Frozen fruit must be thawed slightly before it goes in |
| Sana 929 Ultimate | Stainless homogenising screen | Same method as the 727 |
| Sana 878 | Sorbet screen | Feed pieces one at a time through the hole in the hopper lid |
| Sana 818 | Not suited | A juice-only machine |
Mango and passion fruit sorbet
This is the one we make most. Mango gives the body and the colour. Granadilla (passion fruit) gives the sharp, perfumed edge that stops a mango sorbet from tasting flat.
The trick is getting the passion fruit flavour into the sorbet without the hard black seeds going through the juicer. We scoop out the pulp, press it through a sieve with the back of a spoon to collect the juice, and toss the mango cubes in that juice before they go into the freezer. Every piece is coated, so the flavour runs all the way through. A little fresh pulp, seeds and all, goes on top when you serve.
Sana’s own mango soft-serve suggests swapping some of the mango for frozen passion fruit, so the pairing has the maker’s blessing. Their tips carry over well: about five minutes on the counter first, a second pass for a gelato-like finish, and 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer if you want it firmer.
Mango and Passion Fruit Sorbet
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Scoop the pulp from the 6 granadillas into a fine sieve over a bowl. Press and stir it with the back of a spoon until only the seeds are left. You should have about 60 to 80 ml of juice; discard the seeds.
- Toss the mango cubes in the granadilla juice until every piece is coated.
- Spread the cubes out on a tray lined with baking paper so they don’t touch, and freeze for at least six hours. Tip them into a sealed bag or box once frozen.
- Take the mango out of the freezer and let it stand for about 5 minutes, until the edges just give when pressed.
- Fit the homogenising screen (707, 727, 929) or the sorbet screen (878), and put a bowl under the outlet.
- Feed the mango in a few pieces at a time. On the 878, drop the pieces in one at a time through the hole in the hopper lid.
- For a smoother, gelato-like finish, feed the sorbet through a second time.
- Spoon into bowls and top each with a spoonful of fresh granadilla pulp.
- Add a squeeze of lime if you like, and serve straight away, or freeze for 15 to 20 minutes for a firmer scoop.
Notes
Sana’s film below shows mango going through the 727. Theirs has banana in it; ours doesn’t, but the feeding technique is the same.
A few things we have learnt making this one:
- Use ripe mangoes. The fruit is the only sweetness, so a fibrous, underripe mango gives a thin, sour sorbet. Bags of frozen mango from the supermarket are reliable when fresh ones aren’t at their best.
- Get the juice on before freezing. Tossing frozen mango in juice afterwards just gives you icy cubes with a coating.
- Lime is optional. If your granadillas are very sweet, a squeeze of lime over each bowl lifts it.
Pineapple, mint and lime
Pineapple on its own makes a very refreshing, slightly icy sorbet with a lot of bite. Mint fed through between the pieces gives it a clean, cool finish, and lime zest stirred in at the end makes it taste brighter still.
Cut the core out before you freeze it. It is woody and won’t do your sorbet any favours. Feed a few mint leaves between every three or four pieces of pineapple so they are spread through evenly rather than arriving in one green burst at the end.
Pineapple, Mint and Lime Sorbet
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Spread the pineapple pieces on a lined tray so they don’t touch and freeze for at least six hours.
- Let the pineapple stand for 5 to 8 minutes, until the edges just give when pressed.
- Fit the homogenising screen (707, 727, 929) or the sorbet screen (878), with a chilled bowl under the outlet.
- Feed the pineapple through a few pieces at a time, adding two or three mint leaves after every three or four pieces. On the 878, feed one piece at a time through the hole in the hopper lid.
- Stir the lime zest through the sorbet with a fork.
- Serve straight away with a squeeze of lime juice over each bowl.
Notes
Because pineapple sorbet is lighter, it melts faster. Serve it in chilled bowls, straight from the juicer, and don’t plan on making it far ahead.
Mixed berry with a date
Strawberries and raspberries make a deep pink sorbet with plenty of tartness. One soft date fed through between the berries rounds off the sharpness and gives the sorbet a little more body, without anything added from a bottle.
We keep this to strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Blueberries are expensive, and strawberries and raspberries give more colour and flavour for the money. Frozen mixed berries from the supermarket are fine here. Expect some crunch from raspberry and blackberry seeds.
Use soft Medjool-style dates, and check every one for its stone before it goes anywhere near the juicer. A hard pip can damage the screen and auger, and the 727 manual specifically warns against fruit with pits left in.
Mixed Berry Sorbet with a Date
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- If using fresh berries, spread them on a lined tray and freeze for at least six hours. Bought frozen berries can go straight to the next step.
- Let the berries stand for about 5 minutes, until they just give when pressed.
- Fit the homogenising screen (707, 727, 929) or the sorbet screen (878), with a bowl under the outlet.
- Feed the berries through a few at a time, adding the date halves part way through so they are spread through the sorbet. On the 878, feed one piece at a time through the hole in the hopper lid.
- Stir in the lemon juice if using, taste, and serve straight away.
Notes
More pairings to try
Once you have the habit of freezing fruit in small pieces, the pairings are endless. A few we like that aren’t in our other sorbet posts:
- Mango and lime with a pinch of chilli. Feed mango through as above, then stir a little finely grated lime zest and a very small pinch of chilli powder through each bowl. Taste as you go.
- Strawberry and basil. Feed two or three basil leaves between the strawberries, the same way as the mint above.
- Peach and raspberry. When summer peaches arrive, slice and freeze ripe ones (stones out), then feed them alternately with frozen raspberries.
- Litchi and lime. Peel and stone fresh litchis before freezing them. Fiddly, but the sorbet is lovely.
For creamier, banana-based combinations, including mango and granadilla soft-serve with the pulp rippled through, see our frozen treats collection.
Serving and keeping
These sorbets are at their best within a few minutes of leaving the juicer. If you are serving a crowd, press them just before dessert, or press them up to an hour ahead and keep the bowl covered in the freezer.
Leftovers keep in a sealed container in the freezer for a week or two. Without sugar or stabilisers they set very hard, so give them 10 to 15 minutes on the counter before scooping. You can also put the firm sorbet back through the juicer once it has softened a little; it comes out smooth again.
Made with a Sana juicer
Sana 707 Juicer
R9899,00
Sana 727 Supreme Juicer
Price range: R12999,00 through R14999,00
Sana 878 Juicer
Original price was: R11999,00.R10399,00Current price is: R10399,00.Frequently asked questions
Can I put granadilla seeds through the juicer?
We don’t. The seeds are hard, and we would rather keep them away from the screen and auger. Press the pulp through a sieve to collect the juice for the sorbet, and spoon a little fresh pulp, seeds and all, over each bowl when you serve it.
Do I need banana to make sorbet in a juicer?
No. Banana makes juicer sorbet creamier, but mango and ripe berries have enough body on their own. Watery fruit such as pineapple gives a lighter, slightly icier sorbet without banana.
Why is my pineapple sorbet icy?
Pineapple is mostly water and fibre, so it freezes into a firmer, icier sorbet than mango or berries. Let it soften for a few more minutes before pressing, serve it straight away, and feed it through a second time if you want it smoother.
Which Sana juicers can make these sorbets?
The Sana 707, 727 and 929 make them with the homogenising screen. The Sana 878 makes them with its sorbet screen, with the frozen pieces fed one at a time through the hole in the hopper lid. The 818 is a juice-only machine and isn’t suited to frozen fruit.
How long should frozen fruit soften before it goes in?
About five minutes on the counter is usually enough, until the edges just give when you press a piece. Sana’s manuals ask you never to put in completely frozen fruit, so don’t skip this step.
How long does homemade fruit sorbet keep?
It is best straight from the juicer. Leftovers keep for a week or two in a sealed container in the freezer, but they set very hard, so leave them on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before scooping.
Sources
- Mango and coconut soft serve, Sana Products recipes: softening time, second pass, freezer time and the passion fruit swap. sanaproducts.com
- Sana 707 user manual (English), Sana Products: homogenising screen for frozen desserts; never use completely frozen fruit. sanaproducts.com
- Sana 727 Supreme user manual (English), Sana Products: frozen ingredients thawed slightly; fruit with pits left in not to be processed. sanaproducts.com
- Sana 878 user manual, Sana Products: sorbet screen and feeding frozen fruit. sanaproducts.com
