Among the many ice cream makers met at Sherbeth Festival is Marco Ottaviani, owner of Gelateria Il Castello in Rimini, where he works with selected ingredients, essential flavors and a contemporary approach to ice cream. A lover of aromatic contrasts and clean raw materials, he experiments with combinations that combine delicacy and technique, such as his pumpkin and hay sorbet, which he presents to you today!
With this recipe we also open a new blog feature: the Gelato Project Open Lab, a space where members of the Gelato Project community, whether they are established ice cream makers like Marco, or geeky homemakers like me, can contribute their recipes on cucinali!
A sorbet that combines the natural sweetness of pumpkin with the delicate herbaceous note of toasted hay. An unexpected but surprisingly elegant combination that uses modern techniques to enhance a water-rich raw material and achieve a compact, clean texture. Controlled infusion of the hay, along with balanced sugaring, creates an essential, contemporary sorbet with a distinct personality.
Ingredients (for 1 kg of mixture)
For the infusion
- 500 g of water
- 2.0-2.5g of dried mountain hay
For the sorbet
- 400 g cooked pumpkin
- 347 g hay infused water
- 115 g sucrose
- 50 g trehalose
- 58 g of dextrose
- 23 g dry glucose syrup 39-DE
- 5 g of technical neutral
- 2 g of salt
Final parameters
- Total solids: about 27.5%
- Total sugars: 24.6%
- Estimated AFP: 255-265
- Serving temperature: -11 °C
Balancing
A modern formulation for a pumpkin sorbet flavored with roasted hay is presented, with controlled management of free water and a technical structure designed to enhance a high-moisture plant matrix. The recipe uses balanced sugaring with sucrose, trehalose, dextrose, and dry glucose syrup, ensuring total solids around 27%, showcase stability at -11°C, and a clean flavor profile. Hay is infused in hot water, resulting in a natural herbaceous extraction without bitter notes.
Pumpkin is characterized by a water content of more than 90%, with pectins and starches significantly affecting the structure of the ice cream product. Without proper balancing of the sugar fraction and total solids, these matrices can generate a spongy or saggy structure.
The infusion of the toasted hay allows the volatile aromatic components to be extracted while preserving the delicacy. Stabilization relies on a minimal amount of technical neutral, reduced to the necessary amount to maintain the sensory cleanliness of the sorbet.
Proceedings
Hay roasting and infusion
Toast the hay in a static oven 10-15 min at 120°C
Bring the water to 65°C, add the roasted hay and let it infuse 20 minutes.
Strain finely and keep aside. The flavored water makes up the watery phase of the sorbet.
Preparation of sorbet
Bake the pumpkin in the oven at 180 °C for 30-35 minutes and remove any surface water.
Bring the prescribed water to 65°C, add the roasted hay, infuse 20 minutes and filter finely.
Heat the aqueous phase to 55-58 °C and dissolve sucrose, trehalose, dextrose and dry glucose syrup.
Add the technical neutral at about 55 °C and stir until fully dispersed.
Incorporate the cooked pumpkin at 50-55 °C and blend 1-2 minutes until smooth.
Cool quickly to 4 °C and let ripen 3-6 hours.
Whisk according to standard procedure until a firm, uniform sorbet is obtained.
This sorbet demonstrates how a seemingly simple plant matrix can give rise to an elegant and modern taste when supported by purposeful technique. The pumpkin gives body and natural sweetness, while the hay lends a subtle but distinctive herbaceous aroma. The result is an essential, clean and surprisingly gastronomic sorbet!
Do you also want to post in the Gelato Project Open Lab?
The Gelato Project Open Lab is a new corner of the Gelato Project dedicated to fresh ideas from the community. If you’re an ice cream maker, a balance geek, or just someone who has created a flavor you’re proud of, you can contribute too.
Write and tell me about your recipe, I will be happy to evaluate it and, if suitable for the column, publish it in our open lab dedicated to ice cream creativity!
Join our Community
Did you know that we have an interactive community on WhatsApp? It is structured with a central channel and thematic channels for discussing specific topics, such as ice cream!
A quick note: WhatsApp does not give access to the chat history, so you will only see messages from the moment you join, which is why everything appears empty when you first enter.
La sua curiosità lo ha portato a specializzarsi nei gusti del territorio, nelle infusioni a bassa temperatura e nei sorbetti vegetali, lavorando su ricette pulite, tecniche e legate alle materie prime.
- Pumpkin and Hay Sorbet - 21 November 2025
