How to Buy, Store, and Eat a Pomegranate

Buying Quality Fruit, Keeping it Fresh, and Getting the Seeds Out

Nov 12, 2008

Pomegranates are an autumn fruit, a harbinger of Christmas. Here are tips for buying, storing, and eating the arils (seeds) of this juicy, if messy, fruit.

"Pomegranates have earned a reputation for being nature's most labour-intensive fruit," notes an unnamed food writer in Inspired by Compliments, Winter 2008 p. 6, "but the brilliant sweet and tart seeds...are worth the effort."

The reason effort is required is that the translucent red seeds are intricately embedded in a creamy membrane. No, you don't have to pry them out with a tiny crowbar! There are easier ways:

The membrane can be eaten - simply peel away the leathery rind and bite into the pomegranate as though it were an apple.
Cut the pomegranate into sections and nibble the seeds out of the sections.
Separate the seeds from the membrane under water (the arils will sink, the membrane will float and can be scooped out).

Since the membrane is often bitter-tasting, the result of the first method may be less than tasty. And it will certainly be messy, as crushed seeds squirt crimson onto your face and clothing. Still, with a little care or an old T-shirt, it's quick and satisfying. The water method requires a little preparation and a bit more work, but it's the best way if you plan to use the pomegranate seeds on cereal or for a garnish.

Pomegranate Seeds are Arils

By the way, although it's common to refer to the juicy, ruby pips as the "seeds" of the pomegranate, this is not quite accurate. The actual seed is small, narrow, and white, like a grain of rice, and is hidden inside. You can often see the seeds right through the translucent outside pulp, and you can swallow them along with the juice and pulp so that you get a little fiber along with all the vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants in the pomegranate juice.

Each seed starts out as a tiny stub on the membrane and is attached at a point called the finiculus or hilum. A red fleshy layer called an aril (or arillus) then gradually grows out over each seed. As the seeds mature and the arils swell with juice, they force the membrane and skin of the pomegranate fruit to expand in turn.

Fruits that develop edible arils include the mangosteen, nutmeg, longan, lychee, and ackee. A number of other plants, notably yews and similar conifers, have arils that are not edible by humans but which are enjoyed by birds. In return, the birds transport and distribute the seeds, complete with fertilizer, to new locations. Under primitive circumstances, you would no doubt do the same favor for pomegranates.

Buying Pomegranates

Daniel Portolan, corporate communications rep from California grower Wonderful Pomegranates, advises that "Pomegranates are picked when ripe, but if you are looking for the fruit that contains the most seeds, look for weight rather than color."

For eating or juicing, choose pomegranates that are heavy for their size
The skin should be fairly uniform in color
Surface blemishes are acceptable; the tough leathery skin does a great job of protecting the arils from damage.
Avoid fruit that has any cracks in the rind or that is badly bruised.
For decorating, select fruit for uniform size, color, and appearance.

Storing Pomegranates

A whole pomegranate can be stored for up to a month on the counter, up to two months in the fridge
Arils removed from the fruit can be kept for up to two weeks, refrigerated in a tightly sealed container
Arils can be frozen; separate them from the membranes and spread them in a single layer on waxed paper on a cookie tray. Once they are frozen (about two hours), transfer them to a container or freezer bag.

Wonderful Pomegranates has declared November to be National Pomegranate Month. Why not, as the colorful fruit is a harbinger of the Christmas season. As the folks at pomwonderful.com maintain, "Pomegranates are perfect for snacking, cooking, juicing, and decorating. They add color and a unique quality to dishes, beverages and decorations...experience the versatility of the extraordinary pomegranate." All that and healthy too.

And to win at that game of Scrabble™ over the holidays, remember - it's not a seed. It's an aril.

Can Pomegranate Membrane be Eaten? – Poisonous pith or harmless pulp?
Pomegranate Glazed Chicken for Two - A pomegranate recipe.
Honey, Should the Chicken be Purple? - Humorous blog post on pomegranate glazed chicken.
Recipes, history, health benefits at Pomwonderful.com.

The copyright of the article How to Buy, Store, and Eat a Pomegranate in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Thomas Alan Gray. Permission to republish How to Buy, Store, and Eat a Pomegranate in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.