Ingredients for 1 × 480 ml tub
| 197 g | pomegranate juice (from pressed seeds) |
| 10 g | lemon juice |
| 2 g | fresh lemon balm leaves |
| 90 g | caster sugar |
| 2 g | dextrose |
| 1 g | guar gum (E412) |
| 168 g | water |
| 470 g | Total |
Weigh everything to the gram on a digital scale: that is the secret of balance. Total 470 g, below the MAX line.
Method
- Seed the pomegranates, then press the seeds through a sieve with the back of a ladle (don’t blend: crushed pips turn bitter). Keep a spoonful of seeds for serving.
- In a bowl, stir together the sugar, dextrose and guar gum while dry, so the guar disperses without lumps.
- Heat the water in a small pan until it just simmers (about 85 °C), take off the heat, add the fresh lemon balm leaves, cover and leave to infuse for 10 minutes, then strain.
- Let it cool completely (in the fridge, or set the pan in a bowl of iced water).
- Pour into the blender jug (or a tall jug, for a stick blender) the juice, the cold infusion and the lemon juice. Blend until smooth, then, with the motor running, sprinkle in the sugar-and-guar mix and blend for another 30–40 seconds: guar thickens cold.
- Pour into the Dolci tub without going past the MAX line. Freeze for 24 hours at −18 °C: lid off for the first few hours only, then close it.
- Fit the tub and run the SORBET program. If it isn’t creamy enough, do a RE-SPIN (add 1 tablespoon of juice or water if needed).
- Serve straight away with a few pomegranate seeds.
Chef’s touch
Lemon balm, sweet and lemony, steeps in the hot water: the pomegranate stays ruby red and tastes fresher.
Sherbet version
with creamy fresh cheese, same method
| 183 g | pomegranate juice (from pressed seeds) |
| 10 g | lemon juice |
| 2 g | fresh lemon balm leaves |
| 45 g | full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia type), well chilled |
| 80 g | caster sugar |
| 8 g | dextrose |
| 1 g | guar gum (E412) |
| 141 g | water |
| 470 g | Total |
Sherbet version: same method, only the amounts change. The cream cheese (Philadelphia type), well chilled, is blended with the fruit before the sugar-and-guar mix goes in, and is never heated: fresh and slightly tangy, it brightens the fruit. About 2 % fat: creamier, still light. Contains milk and lactose.
Frequently asked questions
How much pomegranate do I need for one Tefal Dolci tub?
197 g pomegranate juice (from pressed seeds) and 10 g lemon juice out of 470 g of mix, that is 44%. The rest is 90 g sugar and 2 g dextrose, 1 g guar gum and water: amounts calculated so you never go past the MAX line of the 480 ml tub.
How long should I freeze this pomegranate sorbet?
24 hours at −18 °C with the tub level: lid off for the first hours only, then closed. With fewer hours the core stays soft and the result is uneven. Then run the SORBET program.
Why did my sorbet come out powdery or hard?
Very cold sorbets can look powdery after the first spin: that’s normal, run RE-SPIN, adding 1 tablespoon of juice or water if needed. If it’s hard or icy, the fruit wasn’t ripe enough or the sugars weren’t weighed to the gram. This recipe is calculated on a Brix of about 13.5: with much sweeter or much less sweet fruit, the traffic light in the ICED METHOD APP helps you correct the grams.
Which months are best for this sorbet?
Season: October – January. Out of season, choose good-quality frozen fruit. Always use fully ripe fruit: it makes all the difference.
Does the sorbet contain milk? And the sherbet version?
The sorbet version contains no milk or dairy. The sherbet version adds 45 g full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia type) (about 2% fat): creamier, but it contains milk and lactose.
More sorbets in season
26Autumn persimmon sorbetBrix ≈ 14 · 52% fruit
20December mandarin sorbetBrix ≈ 11 · 66% fruit
12September Williams pear sorbetBrix ≈ 10 · 75% fruitBrix source: Ciqual 2020 table (ANSES), code 2017 “Pomegranate juice, pure juice”: indicative value (±2), it changes with variety and ripeness.
Tefal, Moulinex and Dolci are trademarks of Groupe SEB, mentioned for descriptive purposes only: ICED METHOD° is not affiliated with or sponsored by them. Always follow your machine’s manual (MAX line, programs, warnings). Allergens: check the label of every product.