Friday, October 25, 2013

Processing Pomegranate

I love to eat pomegranate seeds.  When I saw that my local Aldi had pomegranates on sale this week I decided to get some.  Even though I didn't know how to remove the seeds from the fruit without making a huge mess, I knew I could figure it out.

Where does the modern inquisitive cook go when they need to learn something? The Internet, of course. A Google search for seeding pomegranates yielded more than a million results; I clicked on the first one and started reading.  When I was done reading I put my knowledge into action.

I cut off the top and bottom of the fruit, then took a knife and scored the rind into quarters from top to bottom. Next I put my thumbs in the center and gently pulled apart the sections, peeled away the white skin covering the seeds, then inverted the skin.   (I tried to be as gentle as possible so the seeds didn’t burst, but several of them didn't get the message. I ended up with juice splatters on my shirt, wrists, and face.)

I placed the pomegranate pieces in a bowl of water and used my fingers to gently separate the seeds. The seeds sank to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane pieces floated to the top, and it was easy to fish them out.  I drained the seeds in a colander, then dumped them in a storage container.

My original plan was to use the seeds in a salad for a potluck tomorrow night, but I've 'sampled' so many that now I don't have enough for the recipe.  I'll either need to eat the rest or go back to the store for more pomegranates.

Five years ago today: New Thing #288--Lawn Mowing 201

13 comments:

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    1. I know! Lots of Vitamin C. I feel like I'm coming down with a cold so I had the rest of the seeds for breakfast

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  2. The kids love pomegranate, too, but just fish the seeds out with their fingers.

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  3. Replies
    1. After doing it this time, I'd have to agree!

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  4. I saw some pomegranates at the grocery store the last time I went and thought about buying one. I've never really had them, and they look kind of interesting.

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  5. I have been processing lots of pomegranates. I seed them in a bowl of water, pretty much like you did. I run them through the juicer and add them to my variety of juicing produce. They make kale taste pretty good. I've also been juicing cranberries as they have just come on the market. Tart!

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    1. As much as I enjoy pomegranate seeds I like the juice even better! I'm sure your homemade tastes wonderful.

      I also like cranberries, but they ARE tart. Do you use any type of sweetener in your juices?

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    2. although I joke about adding corn syrup to my juice, I do not. Yesterday's batch was made of basil, blueberry, cranberry, kale, and kiwi. It was the color of motor oil and still pretty tart.

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  6. I read an weeks ago about the benefits of pomegranate. The picture also made it so delicious looking that I wanted to get one. I have NOT been able to find one yet. Then my brother texted me a picture (he lives in California) of a whole basket of pomegranates that he and his wife intend to make jelly out of. I said, "No fair. You have a whole basket and I can't find one." There was a coupon in our Sunday paper yesterday for a POM pomegranate. I said maybe there's a shipment on the way. ;-) Thanks for the warning. I'll wear a black shirt or one I don't care about.

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    1. All the pomegranate splatters came out of my shirt in the laundry. Enjoy your pomegranate if and when you get it :-)

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