Love pomegranates, but don’t know how to eat a pomegranate without someone else preparing it for you? Or maybe you have tried before to cut a pomegranate and thought “this fruit is not like an apple or avocado? Well you have come to right place to understand and the components and complexity that is a pomegranate.
First, a we need to understand this fruit is actually a type of berry which seeds after the flower has been pollinated. It contains all the health benefits of berries, and is a super fruit. The tree is very hardy and can withstand heat or cold weather, and actually likes drought.
The name “pomegranate” originated from 2 medieval Latin words “pomum” which means apple, and “granatum” which translates to seeded. So as the name implies, this hexagonal shaped fruit is like an apple with many seeds. The little light purple almost pink gems inside are the seeds that we love to eat and enjoy.
How to Open a Pomegranate
The trick to opening a pomegranate is to understand underneath the outside skin, are all those little gem seeds packed inside waiting to come out. The seed clusters are grouped tight in chambers separated by white pulp flesh. Now the trick is to get all those seeds out without popping any of those juice filled pouches.
1. Wash the fruit. Even though you are not eating the outside, as you cut into the skin, all the toxins and bacteria on the skin are now on the knife, and transferred into the fruit. A quick rinse could keep you or the ones you love safe.
2. Get a good sharp knife.
3. Cut around the top part of the fruit, in a circle around the volcano like mount where the flower was. The top is considered where the flower was, and the bottom is where the fruit was attached to the branch.
4. Score the 6 ridges from top to bottom. Scoring means to cut into the skin, but only ¼ inch or so. You do not want a full deep cut, but just slice the skin. The ridges are where the white pulp chambers are divided, and meets up with the skin.
5. Break it open into 4 pieces at the scores.
6. Knock out the seeds, or nurse them out with your fingers.
I use a bowl with half filled with water a this time. I place all four sections into the water and separate the seeds the seeds this way. Using my fingers, I knock out the seeds.
The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl, and any skin and pulp will float. So once you skim the top of the water and drain the liquid, the seeds remain there, clean on the bottom, and ready to be eaten.
Ways to Eat Pomegranate
There are many ways to eat a pomegranate. You can toss them in a salad, yogurt or ice cream, you can toss them on top of a protein like steak or lamb, or just eat them straight out of the bowl. Try juicing them or baking with them. They are very versatile.
Here are some of my favorite ideas and recipes I use pomegranate for:
Spinach and Pomegranate Salad
Ingredients:
• 1 (10-oz) bag baby spinach leaves, rinsed and drained
• ¼ of a red onion, very thinly sliced
• ½ cup walnut pieces
• ½ cup crumbles feta
• ¼ cup alfalfa sprouts (optional0
• 1 pomegranate seeds
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
Directions:
• Place spinach in a salad bowl. Top the spinach with onions, walnuts, feta, and the optimal sprouts. Sprinkle the seeds over the top, and then drizzle the salad with the balsamic.
Shirly Tonic- A drink
Ingredients: 10-12 Servings
• 3 (3”) cinnamon sticks
• 1 (4”) piece of ginger, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 10 whole cloves
• 6 cups of pomegranate juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Club soda and lemon twist
Directions:
• Bring the cinnamon sticks, pomegranate juice, cloves, ginger, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Cook until reduced to 1 ½ cups, about 40 minuets. Strain syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof measuring glass, and discard thee solids. Let cool
• To serve, pour 1 oz. pomegranate syrup into a tall ice-filled glass. Top off with club soda and stir to combine. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Orange Pomegranate Salmon
Ingredients:
• 1 small red onion thinly sliced
• 1 skinned salmon filet (about 2 lbs)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium navel orange, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a 28×18-in. baking pan. Place onion slices in a single layer on foil. Top with salmon and sprinkle with salt. Arrange orange slices over the top. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and drizzle with oil. Top with a second piece of foil. Bring edges of foil together on all sides and crimp tp seal, forming a large packet.
• Bake until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork, about 25-30 minutes. Be careful of the escaping steam when opening the packet. Remove and serve.
Beef Tenderloin with a Sweet-tart Apple Pomegranate Chutney
Ingredients:
• 2 TBL minced fresh thyme
• 1 TBL minced fresh garlic
• 1 TBL brown sugar
• 1 tea salt
• 1 Beef Tenderloin Roast (3 lbs)
• 2 TBL Dijon Mustard
Chutney:
• 1 Pomegranate
• 2 TBL Olive Oil
• 1 Medium tart apple, peeled and chopped
• 2 TBL minced fresh ginger
• 4 shallots, coarsely chopped
• ¼ Cup Sugar
• ¼ Cup Brandy
• ¼ Cup Cider Vinegar
• ¼ tsp salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine thyme, rosemary, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Place loin on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
- Brush mustard over the roast, then sprinkle with herb mix.
- Roast 45 minutes or until meat reaches desired temperature.
- Remove roast from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Meanwhile, for the chutney:
- Cut and deseed pomegranate.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat.
- Add apples shallots and cook 8-10 minutes.
- Add ginger and garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.
- Add sugar, brandy, vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened.
- Stir in pomegranate seeds, and heat thoroughly.
- Serve with roast.
