Pomegranate-Orange Sorbet

When I was just a little mouse, my mom occasionally got me a pomegranate as a treat. It was fun to open, got you properly sticky and covered with ruby-colored juice, and glistened with sweet, deep red seeds that looked like jewels.

To this day, it’s still one of my favorite fruits. (For all the reasons above, plus now I love to cook with them.)

You can imagine my delight, then, when the good folks at Pom Wonderful sent me a case of their 100% pure pomegranate juice to play with. (Thank you!!)

Here’s an easy recipe for an unbelievably delicious Pomegranate-Orange Sorbet. It’s a little sweet, a little tart—and has heady orange notes from a generous drizzle of Triple Sec.

Some love for Pom

They didn’t ask me to say this, but truly, I think their juice is just delicious. It’s 100% pomegranate, so it’s not packed full of other juices (or corn syrup). It has the best�and truest�pomegranate flavor of any juice I’ve tried.

Plus, it comes in a fabulous, curvy bottle. You guys know I’m a sucker for good packaging.

Pomegranates are everywhere!

Pomegranate flavor has been popping up more and more these days, but you’ve probably been enjoying this fruit’s juice longer than you think.

It’s the main ingredient in grenadine, the syrup used to make a number of cocktails�including the famous Shirley Temple.

Read more about pomegranates, learn how to open one, or find out about the health benefits of Pom Wonderful.

Pomegranate-Orange Sorbet: A note on equipment

You’ll need an ice cream maker to make this properly.

I have a fairly basic Cuisinart ice cream maker that I just love. If you’re in the market for one, it’s actually on sale (as of this posting) at Amazon for $49.95�that’s 45% off its $90 list price. I’ve had mine for a few years and can’t say enough about it.

Oh, one thing to note. If you haven’t used one before, many ice cream makers require that you stash the bowl in the freezer ahead of time for a day or so. Just a good thing to know when you’re figuring out timing (i.e. you can’t take it out of the box and *immediately* make ice cream).

How to make Pomegranate-Orange Sorbet without an ice cream maker

Can you still make this if you don’t have an ice cream maker? Sure thing. The consistency just won’t be as smooth, so it would be more of a granita.

Put the sorbet mixture in a shallow dish in the freezer. Stir it every half hour or so, breaking up the ice crystals that form, until it’s completely frozen. It will be coarser in texture, but will still be super yummy.

OK. On to the sorbet!

Pomegranate-Orange Sorbet

1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups pomegranate juice
2 Tbls. Triple Sec or orange liqueur

Makes about 1 quart.

Pomegranate-Orange Sorbet: Make the sorbet base

Add the water to a medium-sized saucepan.

Add the sugar to the water.

Whisk to combine.

Pour in the pomegranate juice.

Whisk to combine. Set the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally.

When it comes to a rolling boil, turn the heat off and remove the pot from the stove.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then stick it in the fridge to chill it completely.

Pomegranate-Orange Sorbet: Process and freeze the sorbet

When your pomegranate mixture is cold, it’s time to process it in your ice cream maker.

Grab the pomegranate mixture from the fridge. Add the Triple Sec or orange liqueur to it.

Whisk to combine.

Give your mixture a taste at this point. What’s in the pot is what your sorbet will taste like. If you want to add anything else, now is the time to do it.

(Add only liquids now. Most ice cream makers suggest that you add any solids, like candy or nuts, about 5 minutes before the end of processing.)

Your mixture should look about like this:

Process the sorbet in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pomegranate-Orange Sorbet: How to freeze your sorbet

*Please note that the instructions below apply to my Cuisinart ice cream maker. Check your manual if you have a different kind, as your directions might not be the same.

Pour the sorbet mixture into the ice cream maker with the machine running.

Process for 20-30 minutes, until the sorbet has a slushy consistency, kind of like a frozen margarita or a Slurpee.

After about 20 minutes, it should look about like this:

After another 10 minutes (for a total processing time of 30 minutes), it looked like this:

Remove the bowl from the machine and give it a quick stir.

It should be slushy�not frozen solid.

Quick Tip: For a juicy and potent frozen drink, put some in a glass and add a little more triple sec and a shot or two of vodka.

Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Don’t worry if it gets slightly liquid-y at the edges.

Smooth the surface of the sorbet flat.

Press a piece of plastic wrap down on the surface of the sorbet like this:

Stick the bowl in the freezer for a few hours or overnight, until it’s frozen firm.

Pomegranate-Orange Sorbet: Scoop, serve, and enjoy!

When your sorbet is frozen, it should look about like this. It should be firm to the touch, just like sorbet you get from the grocery store.

Here are some of the best discounts and sales I’ve found this week.

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Copyright 2008-2009 The Hungry Mouse�/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.