Learn How to Seed, Prepare and Eat a Pomegranate

Pomegranates are among the new “superfoods.”  Known for their high antioxidant levels, pomegranates are fruits that are abundant in essential vitamins and minerals.  Pomegranate juice is a healthy drink, and the seeds are tasty and nutritious to eat as a fun snack. 

Pomegranates are a seasonal fruit which start appearing in supermarkets and fruit markets from September through to February.

Opening the Fruit

Opening this fruit looks much harder than it actually is.  The fruit inside the thin leathery skin is a dense red color and the juice can spray out and stain your clothing, so it’s best to perform this process on a plastic cutting board place in a sink or large tub! 

You will need:

A chef’s knife

A large bowl of cold water

A strainer

Stand the fruit up and use the knife to cut straight downwards through the top or crown of the pomegranate.  Cut completely through the fruit, cutting it in half.  Once it’s cut open, use your hands to pry it open all the way. 

Hold half the fruit in your hand, over the large bowl.  This will help to catch any of the juice as it runs out.  Now, cut one piece in half again.  Open the fruit the rest of the way, holding it over the bowl.  Use your fingers to pull the inner membranes away from the inside of the fruit.

Removing the Seeds

As you work, you may want to fill the bowl about halfway with water.  The seeds will sink to the bottom, making it easy to separate the seeds from the membrane material, which floats.  If you prefer, you can create less of a mess by pulling the seeds out while holding the fruit under water in the bowl.  This will stop the juice from spraying out if you crush the seeds.  Now, simply pull the membranes out and discard them.  Strain the water to end up with the seeds.

Storing Pomegranate Seeds

Raw pomegranate is a delicious treat when eaten as a per-prepared snack.  The seeds are edible and are a crunchy treat eaten ‘as is’ or in salads.  You can store pomegranate seeds in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days.  Place a paper towel beneath them inside the tub, to soak up any juice that soaks out of them.

Making Pomegranate Juice

You can make nutritious juice by crushing the seeds.  Place the seeds into the blender, about a half-cup at a time.  Pulse the blender to break up the seeds.  Strain the mixture to remove the pieces of seeds that are left behind and add some sugar to make it sweeter if you wish.  You’ll need about two large pomegranates to make one cup of juice.

Making Pomegranate Sauce

There are many ways to enjoy pomegranates.  The seeds can be eaten raw, by themselves or sprinkled onto salads.  One of the most satisfying things you can make with these luscious fruits is a pomegranate sauce.  The sauce can be used on meat as a wonderful, healthy garnish.

To make the pomegranate sauce, squeeze the juice of two to three large pomegranates into a pan.  Add two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, several whole peppercorns, three cloves and a bay leaf.  Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it reduce until it’s about half the original volume, then strain.  Spoon this thick, rich sauce onto chicken or chops.

Making Pomegranate Salsa

You can also make a beautiful salsa using pomegranates.  Start with three peeled and seeded pomegranates, and six roasted red peppers.   Juice the pomegranates and dice the peppers.  Add one small diced red onion, along with two tablespoons of olive oil and the juice of two limes.  Stir ingredients together to form a rough salsa.  It can be eaten cold as a garnish for oysters.