Pomegranates, not just for juice. How to easily open and enjoy!

It’s exciting, pomegranates are in season! Our family enjoys pomegranate juice, but never tried the whole fruit. With all the beautiful displays of pomegranates in the grocery store, I finally took the plunge and purchased one to try. Next, we had to figure out how to open it! I realized it might be a challenge, as this is the first item I’ve purchased from the produce department that came with its very own instructional pamphlet!

There are several methods to open a pomegranate, but I think the easiest I found was watching the Martha Stewart show. Check out her instructional video on How To Open a Pomegranate on YouTube (it says it's about Pomegranate Cornbread Stuffing, but she then shows how to easily open and seed a Pomegranate). Although we didn’t have a wooden spoon handy, we used the technique with the back of an ice cream scoop and it worked just as well.

It was fun to get the hundreds of arils out of the pomegranate. The arils are vibrantly colored little gems that offer a burst of sweet, slightly tart juice and a surprising crunch when you eat them. We enjoyed the fruit in bowls for our dessert tonight, but they would also make a great addition sprinkled on top of a green salad or as a topping for your morning oatmeal or cereal. Another reason I wanted to try pomegranates are that they are extremely healthful. They are loaded with polyphenols (a powerful antioxidant), Vitamin C, and Vitamin K. So, next time you swing by the grocery store, don’t be intimidated by this unusual fruit. Be sure to try a delicious pomegranate and enjoy their health benefits while they are in season this year!