Pomegranate seeds

Hello Fun Fruit,

Today I wanted to share with you how to get the red seeds out of pomegranate.  I had seen them at Organic Garage and Longo’s and finally stopped a lady at Longo’s and asked her how to get the seeds out the package.  Do I eat the red seeds or just juice them I asked – apparently you eat the whole red seed and they are a source of fiber.  So I picked one up to try.  This year has been as much about eliminating foods I react to as much as it has been about introducing new foods that I have never purchased before.  Sure I drank POM, but really had no idea what to do with a raw pomegranate   As I approached the cashier, I picked up a magazine and it had an article on pomegranate recipes – clearly a sign that both the pomegranate and the magazine had to be purchased.

I followed the directions to open one up and wanted to share it with you so you too can enjoy pomegranates while they are in season or available here in Canada at our groceries stores.

Pomegranates are also rich in antioxidants so a food you will want to add to your list of foods to consume. They are estimated to have four to seven times as much antioxidant value as green tea. They are also high in fiber and contain the minerals iron, potassium and calcium as well as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and folic acid.  You need to eat the entire seed to get the maximum nutritional value.  The juice is good to drink but is of lesser nutritional value.

Directions

1. Purchase a pomegranate – look for one with out leathery looking skin and blemishes.
2. Get a large bowl of water ready in the sink.
3. Score lines down the sides of the pomegranate so that they meet at the top and bottom.
4. With the pomegranate under the water, tear the segments apart (this keeps the red stains off your hands and the counter).
5. Remove the seeds from the fleshy parts and let the seeds drop to the bottom of the bowl of water.  Remove the fleshy parts and add to your compost bin.
6. When you have removed all the seeds, remove any of the remaining floating white fleshy parts.  You can use your hands or a skimmer.
7. You will likely want to use your hands to stir up the seed to remove any fleshy parts that are sticking to the seeds.
8. Drain water, fill the bowl with water to rinse the seeds and drain again.
9. Place a double lining of paper towels on a plate and lay the seeds out to remove the excess water.
10. After they are dry, 10-20 minutes, transfer the seeds to a mason jar.
11. Use the paper towel as a lid with the metal screw ring to allow the seeds to breathe.
12. Enjoy a handful of seeds or add to a salad.

Once I figure out how to juice them, I will share that too.  I suspect my juicer and the seeds are not a good match.  If you know how to juice them, please leave a reply or add the link to your site so we can all learn.

I have a salad I will post that has pomegranate seeds in it – more to come soon on that.

May you discover new foods on your journey to wellness.

To pomegranates,

Jo-Ann Blondin, your 9CupChallenge partner