I Just Had My First Pomegranates of the Season!!!

I love the winter, but it is an inexplicable sadness every time I realize when pomegranate season is over. I don't judge Persephone for being tempted by Hades' food in the underworld; I'm sure his pomegranates were delicious. Pomegranates are sweet and tangy. Those ruddy shells hide ruby red arils of goodness.

CC Image: Henry Siddon Mowbray "The Marriage of Persephone"

How do you eat your pomegranate?

There are many gimmicks for how to eat a pomegranate quickly, but I have found most of them don't work. I have tried opening pomegranates in water and even tapping out the arils, but it normally takes the same amount of time as the normal way & you lose a lot of juice. If you want to get the most out of your pomegranate the old fashioned way is the best. Warning: wear an apron or a shirt you don't care about getting juice on. The juice may spray & stain.

Get a knife & a bowl. A pairing knife may work best. The bowl is to catch any juices; you can drink those later. You will be doing all your work in the bowl.
Place you pomegranate Calyx up.
Cut across the Calyx so that you have created an X in the "top". Go deep enough that you get through the Albido, but not so deep that you knick your Arils.
Using you fingers separate one of the quadrants you have made in the top & pull that part separate from the rest. Continue pulling your pomegranate apart like this until it is all separated.
Then slowly work the Arils out of the membrane with your fingers & into the bowl. Most of the Arils should be exposed now that you have quartered the pomegranate.
If you need to, you can cut the skin in other places and pull the quarters into smaller pieces.
Compost your peels and enjoy!

CC Image by Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

I enjoy eating my pomegranates from the bowl with a spoon. I eat it seeds and all. I find that the seeds give the fruit a nice nutty flavor.