A Perfect Pearing

I saw this recipe for Red Wine and Pear Sorbet on the PBS show, Everyday Food. I don't drink red wine so I thought, "oh I'll never make this" and quickly fast-forwarded through it. Then I remembered I still had POM juice in the fridge and rewound it and paid careful attention. I immediately pulled out my laptop and bookmarked this recipe.

My mother-in-law loves pomegranate juice so I decided to make this for her birthday and I served it with angel food cake and strawberries. I wish I had doubled the recipe though because we quickly consumed it and I was longing for more.

Since POM juice is sweeter than red wine, I cut back slightly on the amount of sugar and I added a few drops of red food coloring just to brighten it up a bit. It came together quickly and morphed from a frozen solid mass into a smooth blush beauty with the assistance of the food processor. Tart, smooth, creamy, sweet and refreshing. A perfect fat free summer treat.

POMegranate and Pear Sorbet adapted from Everyday Food

• 1 cup POM juice
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 lb. ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Coarse salt
• a few drops red food coloring, optional

In a small saucepan, bring juice, water, and sugar to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves. Add pears; reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in lemon juice, food coloring (if using) and a pinch of salt; cool completely. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Freeze until solid, about 6 hours (or overnight).

With a fork, break frozen mixture into large pieces. In two batches, purée in a food processor until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to an airtight container; freeze until ready to serve (sorbet will be soft).

Makes 1 quart

NOTE: I made this in two steps. On the first day I boiled the juice, sugar and pears and poured it into a pyrex dish. I then froze it for a couple days, then processed it til smooth on the third day. Do what you can with the time you have. This recipe's flavor will not be affected, in the least.

See my other POM recipes:

• Strawberry POM Smoothies
• Chocolate POM Cupcakes

Updated: I entered this in the ice cream social sponsored by ScottySnacks, SavortheThyme and Tangled Noodle.