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You’ve Been Eating Pomegranates Wrong
With their tough outer skin and juice-filled ruby red seeds, pomegranates may seem intimidating. While this fruit offers incredible health benefits, many people struggle to access the tasty arils inside. Well, we’re here to help! Follow this guide to learn insider tricks for easily enjoying pomegranates and discover delicious ways to use them.
What Are Pomegranates?
Pomegranates grow on small trees native to Iran and widely cultivated in warm climates. About the size of an apple, their name comes from the Latin words “pomum” (apple) and “granatum” (many seeds).
The fruit contains hundreds of juicy seed casings, called arils, enclosed within a hard peel and bitter membranes. While in season from October to January, most people only enjoy them during the holidays. But these ruby red gems have so much more to offer!
The fruit contains hundreds of juicy seed casings, called arils, enclosed within a hard peel and bitter membranes. While in season from October to January, most people only enjoy them during the holidays. But these ruby red gems have so much more to offer!
Incredible Health Benefits
So why are pomegranates so good for you? A 1⁄2 cup of arils contains:
- Vitamins C, K and folate
- Minerals like potassium and phosphorus
- 72 calories and 3.5 grams fiber
- Powerful antioxidants called polyphenols
Research shows pomegranates can help:
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduce arterial plaque
- Fight inflammation
- Improve memory
- Support gut and heart health
How to De-Seed a Pomegranate
Getting to those healthy arils is easy with a few simple tricks. Just follow these steps:
- Slice off the very top
- Score 4-5 lines from top to bottom along the ridges
- Submerge the scored fruit in water
- Break sections apart and peel skin back under water
- The seeds will sink while the pith floats – discard the pith
- Drain seeds and enjoy!
Doing this under water prevents painful splatter. The video shows even easier methods to remove the arils.
Creative Ways to Eat Pomegranates
While many people simply enjoy the fresh seeds alone, pomegranates lend brilliant color, flavor and nutrients to both sweet and savory dishes:
- Toss arils into salads
- Blend into smoothies
- Fold into rice or quinoa
- Mix into plain Greek yogurt
- Add to chutneys and salsas
- Swirl into oatmeal or overnight oats
- Use as pizza topping
- Add to winter cocktails and mocktails
You can also enjoy the juice straight or as a concentrate. Get our delicious pomegranate recipes here!
So don’t let intimidation stop you from reaping the benefits of this amazing fruit! With a few simple tricks, you can easily access the arils and incorporate pomegranates into daily meals. Trust us, your body will thank you!
Let us know your favorite way to eat pomegranates in the comments. And don’t miss our other guides to mastering in-season produce.
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