My favorite blog contributor (and dear friend), Katie, is here to take it away! Katie always has gems, treasures and stories to share with us, and we are all so lucky to have her contribute to this blog. I always learn so much from her — bits and pieces I never knew I needed to know — thank you so much, Katie! Read more to find out all about pomegranates! Promise you will learn so much!
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Winter is not exactly known for incredible produce, but that is part of what makes pomegranates so special. Only in season from late October through February (in the northern hemisphere), pomegranate seeds are a perfect balance of sweet n’ tart that pop in your mouth in a satisfyingly juicy way. Plus pomegranates are one of the healthiest foods on the planet.
Chock full of fiber, nutrients and antioxidants, pomegranates are a “super food” known for their anti-inflammatory effects and are believed to help prevent a wide range of ailments and disease. The fruit’s delicious seeds are called arils. They add brilliant red color and dimension to salads, they are delicious topped on yogurt, cottage cheese or even ice cream, or you can simply enjoy them plain by the spoonful.
There are a few things that prevent some people from enjoying them at home more regularly though: they are expensive to buy pre-seeded, it’s tricky to know when they are ripe if you buy them whole, and they are intimidating to de-seed. Plus, the juice stains everything. But don’t let any of that prevent you from enjoying these amazing fruits this winter. Below is all you need to know about how to enjoy winter’s best bounty, that is the all-powerful pomegranate.
Determining the ripeness of these amazing fruits is step one, and it’s somewhat counterintuitive. A bright red, shiny, and unmarked pomegranate is actually one to avoid. It may look pretty, but it is not ripe.
You can scoop out the big pieces of pulp and pluck out any little pieces that you can catch. But the other great thing about pomegranates is the pulp is not bitter at all and is totally edible and really good for you. So, if some small pieces of the pulp remain, don’t worry about it – it’s just more healthy fiber for you.
Put the arils in an airtight container and refrigerate. Note that the arils start to ferment in about five (5) days, so you want to eat them promptly. This is also why if you buy them de-seeded from a store they often have already started to ferment by the time you open their packaging…they smell like nail polish remover when they start to go bad. Eww.
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Thank you, Katie, for teaching us so much on the art of peeling and eating pomegranates. So much better than spending $10 for a tiny jar that is already seeded and smells like nail polish! I personally love eating pomegranates in green salads or by the handful!
This is very interesting I had a pomegranate tree it would produce some very good fruit, It was an amazing tree