Pomegranate Sorbet
Perfectly pomegranate sorbet. Smooth, sharp and tastes just like pomegranate. This is a cinch of a recipe, most of the
Perfectly pomegranate sorbet. Smooth, sharp and tastes just like pomegranate.
This is a cinch of a recipe, most of the labor is in the de-seeding of the pomegranate. You’ll need an ice cream maker to churn it.
Oh it wouldn’t be November unless I took every opportunity to tell you how wonderful pomegranates are, how you should correctly open them, how you can eat them in every which way and oh btw, here’s another recipe in case you too went a bit wild and bought too many boxes.
Recipe Overview
The one thing I knew going into this recipe is that I wanted it to taste like you were eating fresh pomegranate; not lemon or lime (but we’ll use a little to brighten it up after it gets dulled by the sugar) and not other berry or fruit there to distract.
And it IS just that; it’s so perfectly and purely pomegranate: it’s sharp and bright but also has these sweet berry undertones.
How to de-seed a pomegranate for the sorbet?
First, never ever slice a pomegranate the way you would an orange down the center. Second, please do not use the back of the spoon method to get the arils out. Both of these ‘techniques’ unnecessarily damage precious arils. Here’s a better way!
Hold the pomegranate so the flatter side is on your palm and the bit with the round part where it attached to the stem is up (called the calyx). Use a sharp knife to cut a square around the calyx, tear it out with your fingers. Then drag the knife from each of the four corners down to the bottom – not pressing down fully (you don’t want to damage the arils!) but enough to slice through the skin.
Using two hands, hold the pomegranate with a thumb on the top of two opposing sides and pull in opposite directions so it breaks in half. You’ll do the same with the other two sides.
Now hold the pomegranate over a bowl and use your fingers to gently press the arils to fall into the bowl.
FAQ on Pomegranates
I often get lots of questions about poms, here’s some that might come up:
How do I know when a pomegranate is good to eat?
All the ones sold in stores are ready to eat.
How do I choose a good pomegranate at the supermarket?
Go for a darker color, and a firm texture. If you detect soft spots don’t buy it.
How long do pomegranates last in the fridge before they are opened?
A week or two!
How long do the arils last in the fridge after they’ve been taken out?
Not more than 4 days I’d say, the broken ones especially start to muck up the bowl.
Can I freeze pomegranate arils?
Yep!
Can I eat the seeds?
YES!!!! They are digestible and you do not need to spit them out.
Where do I get pomegranate juice from?
You can either buy it at the store which makes the process of getting the juice obviously so much easier but a. It’s pricey and b. It will not taste as fresh as you can get from making your own, and not as bright and lovely. So, let’s make it!
Once you have all your arils out of the fruit skin, you’ll drop them in a food processor or blender and puree for a minute or two, until all the arils are broken.
Then pour the puree through a fine mesh sieve and press down as much as you can to get all the juice out. You can discard the part with the seeds. The liquid is your juice! Taste it, it’s’ delicious 😀
How many pomegranates should I de-seed for this pomegranate sorbet?
You want a little over two cups of juice so you’ll probably need the seeds of three pomegranates (more if they are small, the organic ones are usually tiny).
How can I make pomegranate sorbet without an ice cream maker?
It’s not going to be as smooth without being churned but it’s possible to make it: once you have the base made (with the syrup, lemon and pom juice mixed) you can pour it into a gallon freezer bag and freeze it flat (you can put it in a cake pan to keep it flat) overnight. It’ll turn into a block of ice.
Break the block into large pieces and put them in the food processor/blender and pulse on high until you have a smooth, firm icey like texture. You can eat it or pour it into a container and freeze.
Pomegranate Sorbet Recipe
Pomegranate Sorbet
Ingredients
- 500g or 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice freshly squeezed from about 3 pomegranates
- 150g or ¾ cups sugar
- 200g or ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- Juice of half a lemon or juice of 1 lime
Method
- Add the sugar and water to a pot and set over medium heat. Cook until it reaches 220F. If you don’t have a thermometer, wait until after all the sugar dissolves then boil it for a minute. Let cool fully (you can speed this up by setting it in the fridge).
- To make the pomegranate juice, you’ll open and deseed about 3 pomegranates. Then add them to a food processor and pulse on high for a few minutes. Press the puree through a fine mesh sieve as much as you can to extract as much juice as possible. You’ll need 500g of juice for the sorbet, set that aside. If you have extra, you can drink it!
- Stir together the pomegranate juice, the syrup and the lemon juice. Chill it in the fridge for a few hours. Once fully cooled, churn it in your ice cream maker.
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