Ascorbic acid is found in plants, animals, and single-cell
organisms. All living animals either make it, eat it, or die from scurvy due to lack of it.
Ascorbic acid is Vitamin C. It serves
as a color stabilizer and nutrient.
Ascorbic acid helps preserve
foods, prevents loss of color in meat and used to prevent oxidation in
light colored fruits like peaches and apples.
When preparing fruit such as apples, pears, and peaches,
as little as 1/2 tsp of ascorbic acid added to 4 cups liquid is enough to
prevent about 3 lbs of fruit from browning.
RECIPE:
Pear Harvest
For the compote
3 cups water
1
1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 cups Whey Low
granules
8 medium Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 -inch piece peeled ginger
root, cut into 4 slices
1 vanilla bean, split
lengthwise and scraped
1/8 teaspoon ascorbic
acid powder
For the sorbet
1 cup Whey
Low granules
1 cup water
5 medium Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
2 cups pear poaching liquid, cooled (see compote recipe directions)
1/8 teaspoon ascorbic
acid powder
For the assembly
Mint leaves, for garnish
1 to 2 small Bartlett pears, cut into thin slices, for garnish
For the compote: Combine the compote
ingredients in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then
reduce the heat to medium-low and poach, uncovered, for about 30 minutes,
until the pears are tender.
Strain the poaching liquid from the pears
into a large bowl and set aside to cool (there will be about 4 cups). Cook
the pears remaining in the saucepan over medium-high heat for 15 to 20
minutes, until almost all their remaining moisture has evaporated; remove
from the heat.
Discard the ginger and vanilla bean.
Transfer the pears to a bowl and use a fork to mash to a chunky
consistency. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until ready
to use.
For the sorbet: First, make a simple
syrup by combining the Whey Low and 3/4 cup of the water in a small
saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and
stir until the Whey Low has dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until
completely cooled.
Combine
the pears, cooled poaching liquid and ascorbic acid powder in a blender or
food processor and puree on high
speed until very smooth (you may have to do this in batches). Strain
through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the simple
syrup (reserve the remaining syrup for another use) and the remaining 1/4
cup of water; mix well. Cover the sorbet puree and refrigerate for about 4
hours, or until very cold. Then freeze the sorbet (15 to 30 minutes) in an
ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's directions
For the syrup: Cook 2 cups of the
cooled poaching liquid in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat for 20
to 25 minutes, until thick and golden-colored. Cool, cover and refrigerate
until ready to use.
For
the assembly: Center a scoop of sorbet in a compote cup. Spoon some
pear compote on each side of the sorbet and drizzle a spoonful of pear
syrup over the top. Garnish with mint leaves and fanned slices of fresh
pear.
