Pomegranate Pear Pie Recipe
Posted by The Pie Guy
Makes one 9-inch pie, double crust, fruit filling. Total prep
Ask them if they had pomegranate pie? I bet not one ever had it, UNTIL NOW!
The Pomegranate Pear Pie Recipe
Pomegranate pear pie is simple to make. This pie will WOW! your family and friends. The taste is very fresh and rosy. The tartness of the pomegranate gives it just the right kick.
Pomegranates are the superpower antioxidant. They help protect against free radical damage that has been linked to heart diseases and cancer.
History of the Pomegranate:
The pomegranate became one of the first cultivated fruits over 4,000 years ago. This fruit is mentioned in the Bible over a dozen times.
The pomegranate originated in the Middle East. In 957 BC, King Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem was built using pillars decorated with pomegranates and the fruit was included on the robes of Jewish priests.
In 465 BC, the pomegranate is used by the Persian empire as a symbol of strength.
The pomegranate made its way to Europe around 1238 CE were it is prominently used as a symbol portrayed in art, literature, religion, and heraldry. Later on in Western cultures the pomegranate became known for its medicinal properties.
Since then, the pomegranate has traveled across the globe and impacted major civilizations throughout history.
Pomegranate arrival to North America is credited to Spanish missionaries. In 1771 CE Thomas Jefferson planted pomegranates at his plantation, Monticello, his house on the hill.
Pomegranates are grown in places like Turkey, Iran, and India but California, U.S.A. is said to grow the highest quality. Thousands of acres of pomegranates grow in the sunny Central California orchards.
How to open a pomegranate:
1. Cut off the top with a sharp paring knife about a 1/2 inch below the crown.
2. You will see four to six sections. Score each section with your knife.
3. Pull the pomegranate apart at each scored section.
4. Using your fingers to loosen the ‘airils’ (the flesh covered seeds) from the cut sections.
Note:
This can get messy. These airils burst like tiny water balloons. So don’t wear your favorite shirt or blouse – I took mine off.
5. Remove any of the white membrane that might have broken off in the bowl. It is now ready for use in our pie.
Pomegranate Pear Pie Recipe
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—Ingredients—
Pastry dough – double crust
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 ice cold water
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cold canola oil
Filling
3 pounds pears (Try with “D´ Anjou”)
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Juicing pomegranates can get messy.
These airils burst like tiny water balloons.
So don´t wear your favorite shirt or blouse
– I took mine off.
1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh pomegranate juice
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoons tapioca
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Directions
1. Prepare the pastry: Roll the pastry and line a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom crust. Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust. Chill the pastry.
2. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
3. Pour the fresh-squeezed lemon juice in the bottom of a large bowl. Peel, halve and core the pears with a melon baller or corer. Be sure to remove the fiber in the center of the pear. Slice them evenly about a 1/4 inch thick into the bowl, coating them with the lemon juice as you go.
4. Clean the surface of the pomegranate and cut open.
5. Remove the pomegranate airils and juice through a strainer using your fingers or the back of a large spoon.
6. Pour the pomegranate juice over the pears.
7. Every 5 minutes toss the pears in the juice for at least 20 minutes.
8. Drain the juices from the pear mixture into a sauce pan and allow to cook down about on medium-low heat.
9. Add corn starch to the pomegranate juice to thicken it up a little.
10. Re-incorporate the pomegranate sauce with the pears and toss again.
11. Add your sugar and spices to this mixture, mix gently.
12. Pour the filling into your uncooked pie crust.
Dot with butter and top it with the second crust. Trim and crimp the crust; chill the pie for at least 10 minutes.
13. Cut vent slits in the top crust. It is your option to sprinkle it with sugar or brush the top with heavy cream.
14. Bake the pie on a baking sheet for 10 minutes or until the crust looks dry, and starts to blister. Turner the oven down to 350° F, and bake for at least 30 to 40 minutes more or until the crust is golden brown, and visible juices start to bubble.
15. Cool the pie completely before cutting for at least a few hours. Serve it at room temperature or slightly warm. Store the pie uncovered in a cool place up to three days.
