Wash your fresh cherries thoroughly. Using a cherry pitter, remove all the pits and discard them. If you don’t have a pitter, carefully slice each cherry and remove the pit with the tip of a knife. Set the pitted cherries aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of water and 2/3 cups of sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Add the pitted cherries to the cooled simple syrup in the saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cherries soften and release their juices.
Transfer the cherry mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. For an ultra-smooth sorbet, pour the puree through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard any solids left behind.
Stir in 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavor and balance the sweetness.
Cover the sorbet base and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until completely cold.
Pour the chilled cherry mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually about 20-25 minutes, until the sorbet reaches a soft-serve consistency.
Transfer the churned sorbet to a freezer-safe container. Cover tightly and freeze for at least 2-4 hours to firm up before serving.
