Juicing Pomegranates

January 15, 2018

Pomegranates rank among some of my favorite fruits - especially this time of year. I love eating the juicy red seeds and drinking the healthy antioxidant-rich juice.

One morning last week, my housekeeper, Sanu, juiced a good number of pomegranates left over from our holiday party. It takes a little work to enjoy this superfood, but they are filled with wonderful fiber, and loads of potassium.

Here are some photos - enjoy.

: When choosing pomegranates, look for fruits that are heavy for their size – a sign of juicy seeds inside. Mottled or darkened skin isn’t necessarily bad, but the fruit should be firm to the touch. These beautiful large pomegranates are from POM Wonderful, founded by entrepreneurs, Lynda Resnick and her husband, Stewart, in 2002. https://www.pomwonderful.com

: Look at the inside of these fruits – so juicy and red, loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. The fruit is typically in season in the Northern Hemisphere from September to February, and in the Southern Hemisphere from March to May. Pomegranates are used in baking, cooking, as meal garnishes, in smoothies, and cocktails.

: With a sharp knife, Sanu gently cuts each fruit in half, crosswise.

: Once the pomegranate, Punica granatum, is split it reveals clusters of juicy, gem-like seeds on the inside called arils.

: Red-purple in color, the pomegranate fruit husk has two parts: an outer, hard pericarp, and an inner, spongy mesocarp, which comprises the fruit’s inner walls and seeds. The number of seeds in a pomegranate can vary from 200 to about 1400 per fruit.

: Sanu holds the fruit – seeds side in the palm of her hand – and using a large wooden spatula, or spoon, taps the back of the pomegranate.

: Sanu likes to tap the center of the back of the pomegranate first to loosen the seeds, and then tap the sides until the seeds fall out into a deep, wide bowl.

: This is what the pomegranate half looks like after tapping most of the seeds out.

: Sanu then pulls the fruit apart gently and removes any remaining seeds by hand – Sanu gets every single seed out into the bowl.

: And because these fruits stain easily, be sure to do this process in a protected area – in the sink or on top of lots of towels.

: There are so many vitamin-rich seeds. Some will separate the seeds into a bowl of water because the seeds sink and the inedible pulp floats, but it is also very easy to do into a giant bowl.

: The name pomegranate derives from medieval Latin pōmum “apple” and grānātum “seeded”.

: Once the bowl is filled with juicy pomegranate seeds, Sanu takes several scoops of seeds and pours them into the juicer’s funnel.

: Try hard not to drop any seeds, so they are not accidentally crushed, leaving a stain later.

: Slowly, Sanu pushes the seeds into the juicer.

: I love using the Breville dual-speed countertop juicer. It has a powerful 850-watt motor, which delivers delicious fruit and vegetable juices in seconds.

: Look at the beautiful red color. A serving of pomegranate seeds, or the juice from these seeds, provides vitamins C, K and folate. Plus, it can help lower blood pressure.