Pomegranates

How to seed Pomegranates

Pomegranates are yummy, full of nutrition and most kids love them. But….and this is a biggie, they are a pain in the neck to deal with. I saw someone on one of the cooking shows say that you can get the seeds or “arils” out easily if you cut one in half and smack it with a rolling pin. I am here to tell you that they only told half of that story. I now have sore knuckles from bashing my hand with the rolling pin and only a few arils were released. Plus, the ones closest to the skin took a beating. This may be a good method if you just want to waste an entire pomegranate to sprinkle a few bits into a salad but it is not going to get the job done if you want to use the entire fruit. Maybe I did not smack it hard enough, many people swear by the method so maybe it works better for others than it did for me. I decided to stick to the old fashioned methods.

Taking these things apart is a bit messy and sticky and if there is s trick to it to make it easier, I have not found it. I just cut the outer skin around the center and pull it apart; then I keep pulling out chunks and gently prying the seeds off the pith with my fingers. Each fruit yields between a cup and a cup and a half of arils.  The pith and the membranes surrounding each section are not tasty so make sure to remove any of those white bits.

Health Benefits of Pomegranates

These ruby red gems provide many health benefits including anti-oxidants in the form of flavinoids, a positive effect on cholesterol levels and drinking the juice aids in reducing dental plaque and gum disease. That’s a lot of punch for such a small fruit. My acupuncturist swears that drinking a tall glass of pomegranate juice within a 10 minute time period will help reduce the effects of the common cold. I cannot swear to this one because I was never able to drink that much juice in such a short time period.

Pomegranates can be used in many recipes. Sprinkle them in just about any salad and they lend a bit of tart sweetness.  You can make jelly from them and they are a great addition to yogurt, breakfast cereals and soups.

How to choose a pomegranate

They are best when they are firm, uniformly round and the skins are smooth and shiny. As they begin to age, they dry out and the skins lose that shiny smooth texture and become rougher.  You can still use them when they are a little older but stay away from any with soft spots.

You may also be able to find prepackaged arils, many stores are offering these as a convenience these days. They cost a bit more but do save a lot of time.

No matter how you choose to use them, pomegranates are a healthy and delicious choice for you and your family!