Strawberry Sunrise Sherbet
A refreshing pairing of strawberry and lemonade sherbets
Date Tried - May 7, 2023
Location - Seated at the red picnic table outside of the Keene Stewart’s
Format - Cone
Milkshake It? - No
Buy Again? - Yes
There are those among us that question whether or not we should consume the milk of a cow.
I’m not here to weigh in on this debate—I recognize the legitimacy of both sides and I find no fault with either camp. It is a mesmerizing illustration of the way that, on planet Earth, life can fuel life. It is also a curiously perverse practice, one in which no other known mammals take part past infancy.
“Mammal” is the operative term here because, apparently, the red-billed oxpecker can successfully perch on the udders of an impala and suck its milk. And, I guess, seagulls and sheathbills can also do this with elephant seals.
So, that’s pretty cool.
Scientists believe that humans have been drinking milk for somewhere between 6,000-8,000 years. And when it all began, humans were likely, on the whole, a lactose intolerant species. Over time, our genetic code mutated to allow for this—dare I say, unnatural?—practice to become commonplace.
I’m grateful for that. Because, boy, do I love cow’s milk.
But we have not solved the conundrum fully. Any dairy lover knows that too much milk is simply too much milk. I’m writing this at the beginning of June; I’ve been pushing the bar lately with my consumption in an effort to wrap up the challenge. My digestive system is not unaware of the fact. This, combined with many helpings of salmon chowder, necessitated a slight respite. So, I pivoted to one of the new Limited Edition flavors—Strawberry Sunrise Sherbet. (Yes, I know that sherbet still has some dairy, but at least it’s less.)
Let me say this loudly and often…
Do not eat sherbet in a cone. And, if you do, don’t get a cake cone.
As I explained in my Caramel Cone Crunch review, when I order ice cream at a Stewart’s location, I’m not thrilled with the plastic waste of the single use spoon and dish combo. But sherbet does not belong in a cone. Not ever.
If you take nothing else away from this review…take this.
The flavor, though, is quite nice. I’m a sucker for sherbet—whether you pronounce it “sherbET” or “sherbERT”—and most other faux-fruity treats. If you eat a purple Skittle (are there purple Skittles?) would you expect to be genuinely reminded of a grape? Of course not. Similarly, one shouldn’t go into this sherbet expecting authenticity. But, oddly enough, I’ll note here that the strawberry puree in Strawberry Sunrise Sherbet contains no high fructose corn syrup, while the strawberry puree in the Stewart’s ice cream flavor Strawberry does.
I’m not sure what to make of that, frankly.
Unfortunately, my scoops were riddled with large icy blocks throughout. This was not the case with Mango Dragonfruit Sherbet, the only other sherbet that I’ve tried thus far. That one came in a half gallon container, so perhaps there is something about the freezers behind the scoop counter that cause this phenomenon. Or maybe it was a bad batch, I don’t know.
Now, Faithful Reader, allow me to point out a minor deception. In their flavor description, Stewart’s says that Strawberry Sunrise Sherbet is a “refreshing pairing of strawberry and lemonade sherbets.” Refreshing, yes. But why “lemonade” and not simply “lemon”? Well, if you’ve followed along ‘I Scream, You Scream’ thus far, you know what comes next…I compared the ingredient list for the lemon puree in Strawberry Sunrise Sherbet with that of Rainbow, and they are identical.
So, there is nothing at all particularly lemonade-y about this flavor. Or maybe it is all like lemonade and none of it is actually reminiscent of pure lemons.
Either way, remain vigilant—don’t let marketing turn you into a sheep.
Regardless, Strawberry Sunrise Sherbet is light and playful. It surely is complemented by sunny skies.
But, personally, I probably wouldn’t eat it at sunrise.