Pickled Pear Sorbetto Using Taylor's Gold Pears #LoveNZFruit
Incredibly sweet, mellow and juicy pears are shown off to great summery effect, churned into a cold, creamy sorbetto along with lemon, ginger, mint and the punch of white balsamic vinegar. The pears aren't pickled in the true sense, but I'm calling the sorbet "pickled pear" to get your taste buds ready for a sweet-tart bite.
You can also use this as a base for a refreshing "shrub slushy." Just put a couple of scoops in a glass and top off with club soda or ginger ale. (PS a shrub is a fruity, vinegary, sweet, refreshing drink).
6very ripe and juicy Taylor's Gold Pears, peeled, cored and quartered
3.5ozsugar(by weight, about 1/2 cup)
4-6ozwhite balsamic vinegar(use less for a less sharp bite, but I went with 6)
4-6ozwater(you're looking for 10 oz total liquid, so go with 6 oz if you use 4 oz of vinegar or 4 oz if you use 6oz vinegar. Or 5 and 5. You get the idea)
⅔oz19 grams fresh ginger, grated on a fine microplane
20mint leaves in a tea ball or tied up in cheesecloth
zest of one medium lemon
½teaspoonsalt
Before Churning
1teaspoonunflavored, granulated gelatin
Instructions
Put the pears, sugar, vinegar, water, ginger, mint leaves in their tea ball or cheesecloth, and lemon zest into a medium sized sauce pan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, mashing the pears as they soften in the liquid.
Turn the heat down to medium-low or low, and simmer until the pears have completely broken down, about 10-15 minutes, removing the mint leaves after five.
Transfer the pears and all their liquid to a blender jar. If you forgot to retrieve your mint leaves, do that now.
Carefully puree until completely smooth.
Press through a fine mesh strainer into a metal bowl set in an ice bath.
Chill to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate overnight. If you want to churn the same day, make sure to chill the mixture to 39-40F before proceeding.
Remove 1/4 cup of the chilled puree to a small bowl.
Sprinkle the teaspoon of gelatin over the puree.
Stir and let sit for 5 minutes or so for the gelatin to hydrate.
Warm the gelatin mixture over medium heat (or in the microwave in short 10 second bursts) until the mixture is warm and no longer feels grainy.
Stream the gelatin mixture into the rest of the base while whisking constantly to help prevent lumps.
If necessary, chill in the ice bath or refrigerate for about 30 minutes to make sure the mixture is well chilled.
Turn your ice cream maker on and strain the pear mixture into the canister, churning according to manufacturer's instructions.
Pack into a container. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sorbetto and freeze for several hours until firm enough to scoop.
The sorbetto is best eaten in the first day or two, but the gelatin ensures that it will remain relatively soft and not get all icy for 3-4 days more.
Enjoy in small portions as a palate cleanser or pour sparkling water or ginger ale over it to make a "shrub slushy."