Start by peeling the peaches. I find it’s easiest to cut a small X on the bottom of each peach, then drop them in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Transfer them immediately to an ice bath – the skins will slip right off with just a gentle tug. Once peeled, chop them into rough 1-inch chunks. Don’t worry about being too precise here.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar over medium heat. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture turns clear – this usually takes about 3-4 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you can’t see any sugar granules when you tilt the pan.

Add your chopped peaches to the sugar syrup, along with the salt and corn syrup. The corn syrup might seem fussy, but it really helps prevent those annoying ice crystals from forming later. Let this mixture come to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the peaches to soften but not turn to mush.

Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. The mixture should taste slightly too sweet at this point – don’t worry, it’ll be perfect once frozen.

Let the mixture cool for about 15 minutes, then blend until completely smooth. I use an immersion blender, but a regular blender works great too. If your peaches were a bit stringy, strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve.

Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. The mixture needs to be really cold before churning – I usually give the bowl a quick stir and if it feels at all warm, I let it chill longer.

Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. It usually takes about 20-25 minutes – you’re looking for a soft-serve consistency. The sorbet should hold its shape when scooped but still be slightly soft.

Transfer to a freezer container, press a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface (this prevents ice crystals), and freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before scooping – it’ll be much easier to serve.