Pomegranate Juice

Name: Pomegranate Juice
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 ripe pomegranate; Ice cubes, for serving

I’ve enjoyed ob’eh anar, freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, from street stalls all over Tehran; some are even open through the night, especially in summer, to refresh late night workers and people on their way home from an evening out. Pomegranates are native to Iran and steeped in symbolism, representing fertility, life and rebirth because of their many seeds. They’re traditionally eaten on the winter solstice, yalda, which means rebirth as it’s the longest night of the year and the turning point where days start to get longer and light wins its ancient battle over darkness.

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 ripe pomegranate
Ice cubes, for serving

Use fresh pomegranate juice to make this deliciously simple pomegranate sorbet.

Method

Cut the pomegranate in half.
Hold a pomegranate half over a bowl and squeeze to loosen the seeds.
Then tap the skin with the back of a spoon to dislodge them into your cupped hand (this minimises juice splatters).
Extract any remaining seeds with a small spoon or fingers, avoiding the membrane as much as possible.
Blitz in a blender then pass through a fine sieve.
Drink ob’eh anar over ice.