Pomegranate Ice Cream

The folks at POM Wonderful very generously sent me some of their pomegranate juice to try out.

Pomegranate juice all by itself is great--and chock full of antioxidants--but I think it's at its best for use in recipes when it's been reduced to a thick syrup.

All you do is pour a cup of pomegranate juice in a small saucepan and set to a simmer until the volume is reduced to about 1/4 cup. (This is also an opportunity to infuse other flavors into the juice--peppercorns would be a beautiful addition if you're planning to use the syrup on, say, pork or chicken.)

I decided to use my syrup in a simple (and sugar free) ice cream recipe--and it's delicious! I've been sneaking spoonfuls every time I pass the fridge! This turned into more of a soft-serve consistency, which was a bit of a surprise but yummy nonetheless. (I'm not sure why it didn't get solid--any advice from you seasoned ice cream makers out there?)



In fact, the softness of this batch of ice cream led me to turn it into a yummy beverage. In the spirit of a brown cow*, I made a Pink Cow with my pomegranate ice cream and diet cola.



Pomegranate Ice Cream
makes about 1 quart

1 cup pomegranate juice reduced to 1/4 cup syrup
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar or sugar substitute (I used Whey Low Type D granular)
2 cups heavy cream

Whisk juices and sugar together; combine with cream in ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least two hours before eating. This makes a soft-serve consistency.


Pink Cow

Place about 1/2 cup pomegranate ice cream in the bottom of a glass. Top with cola of choice (I used diet Dr.Pepper, because I had it around) and enjoy.



*The original, 1960s-era definition of a brown cow is just vanilla ice cream topped by cola.