Winter is upon us when pomegranates appear in the supermarkets. I miss the sweet, juicy, deliciousness of pomegranates during the summer months… but October through January pomegranates are plentiful.
About five years ago, I opened my first pomegranate not knowing what to expect under the peel. I knew seeds were inside but I was not expecting hundreds and hundreds of seeds. Opening this fruit is quite the task… and over the years I have not gained any grace in my opening technique. So when I spotted a Easy Open guide next to the pomegranates in the grocery… I thought to myself “This is my year… I will master opening a pomegranate!”
How hard could it be with step by step instructions?
So with directions in hand I began by cutting off the top of the fruit.
So far so good! Next, I scored the skin at each section.
Still on the right track (I think to myself). Step 3: Separate the pomegranate at each score, so that you have individual sections.
This is were I really fell out of grace…
Looks nothing like the guide’s picture… oh well, I continued with my pomegranate mess by loosening the seeds into a bowl full of water. The seeds sink to the bottom while the fruit’s white membrane floats to the top.
Next, I used a spoon to scoop out the floating white membrane.
To finish, I strained the water from the pomegranate seeds.
Despite the juice splatter and mess, I successfully opened my pomegranate. The loosening of the seeds over a bowl of water was genius!
Pomegranates are loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, iron, and fiber. With sweet and tart juiciness, pomegranates can add some pizzazz to many dishes. So far this year, I have added seeds to yogurt, cereal, and juice!
Have you mastered the opening of a pomegranate? How have you enjoyed pomegranate this year?
I haven’t had a pomegranate yet this year. I am always a bit afraid because I am known to make quite the mess with them. But this year, I’ll follow your instructions and see if I’ll do any better…
For some reason it always looks like a massacre in my kitchen when pomegranates are involved. No matter how hard I try to keep things under control I always find dried pom juice everywhere a few days later. They sure are yummy though! I love them right out of the fridge.
Thank goodness for the backsplash in my kitchen!
that looks intense! I will give it a try though lol
ha – love the step by step instructions.