It might look daunting, but opening a pomegranate and getting all those tasty arils out isnt hard.
There is, however, one small problem: getting the darn thing open!
With a tough exterior, odd shape and lots of not-so-tasty bits, pomegranates can seem difficult to prepare.
Photo:Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Breanna Ghazali
So being able to open a pomegranate on your own is most certainly worth the effort.
Heres everything you should probably know about how to eat a pomegranate.
But there are a few tricks.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Breanna Ghazali
Color:First, choose a fruit that has a deep red color.
FYI: the color may vary depending on the cultivar.
Ask the staff what color indicates ripeness on their fruit.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Breanna Ghazali
Weight:Hold the fruit in your hand and see if it feels heavy for its size.
The skin should also have a slight give, rather than being rock hard.
Fill the bowl with about 112 to 2 cups of cold water.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Breanna Ghazali
Lastly, youll need a sharp knife.
Step 1: Using a sharp knife, cut off the blossom end of the pomegranate.
The blossom end is the one thats pointed.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Breanna Ghazali
you oughta cut only a few centimeters, revealing the inner arils and pulp.
Step 2: Score the pomegranate into six sections.
Pomegranates typically have a subtle hexagonal shape, with six ridged sections on the outside.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Breanna Ghazali
Score each section around the arils on the top of the pomegranate as well.
Step 3: Break the pomegranate apart.
The water will catch any arils that fall out, as well as make cleanup easier.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Breanna Ghazali
Step 4: Scoop out the arils from the first section.
Place one section of the pomegranate in the bowl of water.
Using your fingers under the water, scoop out the arils into the bowl.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Breanna Ghazali
Step 5: Repeat with each section.
Step 6: Drain half the water.
As youve been removing the arils, bits and pieces of pulp will have also broken off.
Drain half the water off into the colander, just enough to pour off the pulp.
Step 7.
Dump the pulp pieces into your compost or trash, then give your colander a quick rinse.
Step 8.
Drain and rinse the arils.
Last, pour the arils into the colander to drain.
Give them a good rinse with water to remove any excess pulp and debris before using or eating.
The arils can be stored in an airtight container for four to five days in the fridge.
Because of their tanginess, they are a great addition to salty and savory dishes, especially salads.
The arils also bring a bit of balance to roast lamb.
The seeds arehigh in antioxidants, which help fight inflammation.
Theyre also high in fiber and potassium.
Then youll want to pull apart the sections over a bowl of water to catch the arils.
Hold each section under water and scoop out the arils with your fingers.
Drain off the pith and debris and then drain and rinse the arils before eating them.
The entire pomegranate seed is edible.
you could eat both the juicy part and the seed itself.
Pomegranate seeds are packed withantioxidants and fiber.
