Dear Timaree: “I’ve tried to eat a pomegranate before, but it has ended up making a mess and staining my clothes! How do you deal with the fruit and are they good for you?”
About a month ago, I got “the call”… a close friend of mine informed me that the “Pomegranate Lady” at Lower Sacramento Road and Harney Lane in Lodi, CA was open for business!!!! I GO CRAZY for pomegranates, and want to tell you how to extract them without crushing the precious arils or staining your wordrobe or kitchen!
- Fill a large bowl with water.
- Carefully slice off the top and bottom of the pomegranate.
- Score the skin along the sides several times, making segments.
- While holding the pomegranate completely under the water in the bowl, pry the pomegranate apart into segments at the score lines.
- Carefully free the arils underwater and discard the white structure and skin.
- Drain the water and spread the arils on a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.
- Transfer the arils, covered loosely with a damp paper towel to a plastic or glass food storage container.
- They can stay fresh for up to a week when kept like this in the refrigerator. The arils also freeze very well in zip-top bags (thicker freezer-friendly type), so if you are willing to invest a little time during the season, you can enjoy them for months to come, in smoothies, cooked cereal (oatmeal, is a favorite) or cold cereal, as well as other recipes.
Pomegranate season in pretty short (in California: Oct-Dec), but if they aren’t bruised or cracked open, you can store whole pomegranates in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator for several weeks before you are ready for the arils.
Pomegranate arils are phytonutrient jewels!
These gorgeous little red “gifts” not only add a burst of flavor and crunch to many dishes, but they are an amazingly high in antioxidants (tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid) that can protect our cells and reduce our risk of heart disease and cancer, but also provide 5 grams of fiber (per half cup) and only 80 calories. While it may be hard for you to resist just popping a handful in your mouth, arils are also wonderful on cold cereal, in oatmeal, in fruit salads, green salads and guacamole, sprinkled over savory main dishes. Try one of my daughter’s favorite fruit salads with pomegranates: Mia’s Apple Salad Be sure to buy some pomegranates soon, as their season will be over before we know it! You could also watch me make an incredible recipe with pomegranates and Brussels on California Bountiful… TRUST ME, it is divine! For more recipe ideas and other info: www.pomegranates.org
Timaree Hagenburger, a plant-based registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), certified exercise physiologist with a master’s degree in public health, has over 20 years of experience as a nutrition professor. She is a sought after speaker, media personality and author, who works with private clients, and in corporate wellness, has contributed to several cookbooks and published her own cookbook, The Foodie Bar Way: One Meal, Lots of Options, Everyone’s Happy (www.foodiebars.com)! Timaree is also the founder of an incredible online membership community, The Foodie Bar Way of Life, that makes loving the food (and living a life) that loves us back… simple, satisfying, sustainable AND FUN! You can contact her about working with her through 1:1 dietitian nutrition coaching, for hands-on cooking instruction and to inquire about arranging a speaking engagement.
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This is a first for me... Some of MY recipes are part of a rock star compilation cookbook put together by Andrew Spud Fit Taylor!! Order it today!