The sour cherry sorbet on the current menu exists because an orchard in Newtown, CT agreed to sell us their second-harvest fruit this spring. If they had not, there would be no sour cherry sorbet. That is how this works.
Why not use frozen pulp ¶
Frozen fruit pulp is consistent, available year-round, and significantly cheaper than fresh local fruit. It is also a different product. The freezing process breaks down cell walls and changes the water content, which affects both flavor intensity and the behavior of the base during churning. For high-water fruits like strawberries and cherries, the difference between fresh and frozen is audible in the texture of the finished gelato. We have tried both. We use fresh.
Working with Silverman's Farm in Easton ¶
We have been buying strawberries from Silverman's Farm in Easton, CT since 2020. They grow several varieties, and the ones we use are a mid-season variety that is smaller and more intensely flavored than the large commercial strawberries you see in grocery stores. We take the fruit in flats, macerate it overnight with lemon juice and a small amount of sugar, and fold it into the base the following morning. The window is roughly late June through mid-August, depending on the crop.
The planning problem ¶
Seasonal sourcing means you cannot promise a flavor will be available on a specific date. The peach slot on the summer menu is reserved for August, but the actual start date depends on when the Newtown orchard calls us with a pickup window. Some years that is the first week of August. Some years it is the third. We post the board every Wednesday morning and that is the most accurate information we have.
What happens when the fruit runs out ¶
When the fruit is gone, the flavor comes off the board. We do not substitute frozen pulp to keep a menu item alive. The strawberry sorbet will disappear sometime in mid-August. The sour cherry sorbet will be gone before that. If you want them, come in before the season ends. We will post on the journal when we are running low.
What is on the board this week is posted every Wednesday at islebrookcrest.com. If you are planning a visit around a specific flavor, that is the page to check.