Slice your fresh peaches into quarters and remove the pits—I use a sharp knife and let gravity do most of the work rather than forcing the blade. Place peaches in a medium saucepan with the sugar and water. You're creating a syrup base here, which is why the ratio matters: too much sugar and your sorbet won't freeze properly; too little and the peaches taste thin. This is the moment where I actually taste a raw peach slice because knowing its natural sweetness helps me gauge what's coming next.

Heat the mixture over medium-high until it reaches a rolling boil, stirring occasionally so the sugar dissolves evenly—this takes about 8-10 minutes. Once it's boiling, reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for another 5-7 minutes without stirring. The peaches will soften and release their juices, and you'll notice the syrup turning from clear to peachy-gold. This is not the moment to walk away; I learned that lesson when I burned a batch while checking my phone.

Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, honey, salt, and agar-agar powder—and here's the critical part: whisk the agar-agar in thoroughly because clumps will ruin your peach sorbet cozy homemade texture. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, about 15-20 minutes, then strain it through a fine mesh into a bowl. I use the back of a spoon to press the softened peaches and extract every ounce of flavor. Don't throw away that pulp; it's where the actual fruit lives.

Stir in the vanilla bean paste, orange blossom water, lemon zest, and heavy cream once the mixture has cooled completely. This is where the magic happens—the cream gives the sorbet a subtle mouthfeel without making it taste like ice cream. The orange blossom water might smell strange in the bowl, but wait until it's frozen; the aroma mellows and suddenly everything tastes intentional.

Pour the entire mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the machine's instructions—mine takes 20-25 minutes to reach soft-serve consistency. If you don't have an ice cream maker, freeze this in a shallow baking dish and stir it with a fork every 30 minutes for 3 hours total. I confess I've done it both ways, and the machine version turns out smoother, but the fork method still produces something worth eating. The moment it reaches soft-serve stage, transfer everything to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.