Pomegranates
Posted in: Produce Picks | 12 Comments
update: Watch the toddler and I clean a pomegranate
I did it! I bought my first pomegranates. I have to admit I was scared. They look so darn intimidating, don’t they?
To be honest, I didn’t even know what a pomegranate was until a couple of years ago and now they seem to be everywhere. There is pomegranate juice, pomegranate fruit leather and even pomegranate flavored 7up!
Now that I’ve tasted it I can see why. The only way I can describe the fruit it like small red corn kernels with a fabulously sweet flavor. After my first bite I wasn’t immediately impressed, there it a small seed like center that I had to get used to but after a few more nibbles I was hooked! The flavor is amazing. Really, they were good and YES, the toddler liked them!
As for the cutting and cleaning the fruit, it was much easier then I thought. I followed the advice on pomegranates.org, cutting the pomegranate in quarters and placing them in a large bowl of water. Cleaning the fruit in water saves a lot of mess with the highly staining juice. The toddler still looks like he has chicken pox from a few sacs that burst!
With the fruit submerged in the water, pop out the ‘kernels’ (arils), using your fingers and throw out everything else. Strain the water and eat! Once you try it, you’ll immediately get into the groove. It IS super easy!
Any pomegranate veterans out there? How do you use it?
And all you pomegranate virgins, pick one up! It really isn’t that scary, I promise!
update: Watch the toddler and I clean a pomegranate
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Hey Roni! My boyfriend got me hooked on pomegranate. He does the water bowl thing to get the fruit, but I just cut it in half and spank it with a large spoon into into a bowl. I just wear something I don’t care about and wipe the counter/cutting board right after I separate and package the fruit and juice. I love the little fruit kernels on my cereal in the morning! And I try to pick ones that are “heavy for their size.”
[...] Clean and prepare the pomegranate as described here. [...]
I love to make a salad with the pomegranate. Start with romaine lettuce, add some pomegrante and mandarin orange slices, and top with raspberry basalmic vinegarette and toasted pecans if you wish. It is really good with chicken added in as well if you want to make it a main dish salad.
Love these things! I have 1/2 cup of pomegranate topped with a dollop of fat free Cool Whip for dessert a few times a week. The sweetness of the Cool Whip compliments the tartness of the pomegranate perfectly. An awesome snack or dessert for only 1 point!
I love Pomegranate! For the most part I like to use them as a snack. I just open them up, sit down while I’m watching TV and pick at it until I’ve eaten the whole thing. The best part is that it takes me quite a while to eat and they’re only 1 point for the whole thing!
your little boy is too cute!
Roni,
You’ve encouraged me to try new fruits and vegetables. I haven’t bought a pomegranate yet, but this past weekend, I bought some star fruit. They have a more scientific name, but I can’t remember it and they are at home, and I am at work, so I can’t read the sticker. Anyway…they were OK…nothing to write home about. But I’ve read on the internet that they’re only really good if you pick them fresh. What you get in the grocery store, are not that good. But anyway…it’s just the fact that I am trying new things…because of you….that I like.
Thank you!!
Roni, of all people I’m sooooo surprised you have never tried the pomegranate. Anyhow, I’m glad you reminded me of the deliciousness of them b/c I haven’t had one since I was a teenager (which really wasn’t that long ago..i just like to feel like it was).
The funny thing is I never really knew how to peel one, I just kind of picked the “seeds” out. The other day I saw on a tv show the trick of placing it in the water, I’ll have to try that again sometime soon!
A quick question….do you eat the entire kernel? When I was a kid, my mom had us eat the sweet part, but spit out the middle harder part. Can you eat the middle of it? Does it change the flavor? Thanks so much!
Amy – I ate the middle. I’m not sure if I was suppose to!! After the first few bites I didn’t even notice them.
Hey Roni, i’m catching up on your foodblog a little!
I love pomegranates, but they’re just so darn complicated to eat :) the little seeds are so yummy you just want to shove the whole thing into your mouth, but the yellow skin is truly vile so i recommend peeling them properly :D
Anyway, great foodfind! They are packed with precious anti-oxidants these little darlings
I love, love, LOVE pomegranates! They scream fall and my family always buys them for me. They’ll come over with one just for me, or sometimes I’ll just randomly find them at my door. A peculiar quirk with my family I suppose, considering they don’t even eat them!
Anyway, I digress. I was in a store today and saw a “seedless pomegranate”. Being the curious type, and being unable to even imagine how a seedless pomegranate could possibly work, I bought one. What a disappointment! First of all, they do have seeds. They’re just softer. Second of all, the arils are a light pinky colour and they are completely tasteless in comparison to the good old blood red seed-a-rific variety. I eat the seeds, I know some people don’t, but believe me, what ever you do, don’t bother with a seedless pomegranate!