Ottoman sherbet

This is a homemade version of the kind of sherbet that I used to buy in the streets of Turkey. It’s a fermented, gut-friendly drink that’s also very hydrating. Usually made with fruits such as plums, cherries and some tamarind, my version with nashi is flavourful but not too intense.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes plus 10 days fermenting SERVES: 6-8 1 red apple

1 granny smith (or sour green) apple 2 nashi

100g green grapes

200g firm red plums

50g red grapes

1 cinnamon stick

2 cloves

220g sugar

5 chickpeas

Quarter the apples and nashi without removing the skins or seeds. Squash all the fruit together and mix with the spices in a bowl.

Put the mixed fruit into a two-litre jug with a sealable lid, adding the sugar. Wrap the chickpeas in muslin (cheesecloth) and add to the jug. Fill the jug with filtered water up to the brim. Seal tightly and then store in a cool spot for 10 days before serving. To get fermentation started, you need to keep the chickpeas in the water for at least five days. The liquid will continue to ferment gently once the chickpeas are removed, and you can keep refreshing the drink with water for three months. If it starts to taste like vinegar, use it as vinegar and make another batch.

JENNY GARING is a food writer and researcher who has travelled the world leading food tours. She also runs cooking classes, and creates exotic spice blends for her food business, Ground. Jenny and her husband Graeme live on a block in the Marlborough Sounds with their chickens, kunekune pigs, two cats, and dogs, Grace and Frankie. ground.co.nz