Pomegranate Seeds—A Wintertime Treat

 

 A few years ago I learned about the almost magical method of getting the seeds from pomegranates by conducting the entire process with the pomegranate immersed in water. And now, I buy them from the first time I see them in grocery stores in the late fall until the last ones disappear from the shelves in January -- store them in the fridge, or, like pineapples, they'll go bad quickly at room temp.

The seeds are a wonderful addition to guacamole.  (Trust me, it’s true!) When I make a chocolate pudding cake, I like to sprinkle them alongside for a great contrast in flavor and texture. Occasionally I also add them to brown rice pilaf along with chopped apricots and toasted almonds or pecans, butter, salt and pepper.

I know that many cooks add pomegranate seeds to green salads, but I find it annoying that they fall off my fork so easily.  Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, authors of “The Flavor Bible,” recommend a long list of parings, to include: almonds, beets, chicken, cinnamon, fish, ginger, grapefruit, hummus, lamb, roasted meats, parsley, vinegar and walnuts.

My favorite and most frequent use for pomegranate seeds is as part of dessert. Mostly I simply toss them on top of fruit and add a dollop of yogurt (or ice cream if we’re being decadent). And when I haven't gone to the grocery store to get  fresh fruit, we simply have a bowlful of pomegranate seeds along with the yogurt.  I occasionally finish the dessert with a sprinkling of either toasted coconut, granola, brown sugar or honey. (Toast coconut in a 350 degree oven for 6 minutes or so to intensify its flavor and give it a crunchy texture.

Here’s my listing of fruit at goes well with pomegranate seeds. Note that the pairing works well with just about any fruit.

Fresh or baked apples

Sliced bananas

Cooked bananas (Don’t forget the chocolate chips.)
Kiwi

Diced oranges

Fresh or baked pears (I microwave pears for just 2 minutes when I’ve forgotten to put them in the oven.)
 

How to Seed a Pomegranate:

                                         

1.   Fill your largest mixing bowl or your salad spinning bowl with lukewarm water (lukewarm only so your hands don’t get cold). I like to place the bowl in the sink so I can easily discard the peel next to the bowl.

 

2.   Cut the fuzzy top off the pomegranate but not so deeply so as to cut into the fruit.

 

3.    Score the pomegranate into quarters.

4.    Pull the quarters apart under water to keep any juice from splattering, working on small segments at a time and discarding the rind into the sink.  Don’t worry too much about getting all the white pith off the each seed; you can do that later.

 

5.    Swirl the water around, letting the pith float to the top, then scoop up handfuls of seeds and remove large chunks of pith.

 

6.    Repeat step 5 until you have most of the pith removed. Drain the seeds on a clean dishtowel. They will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week.