Pomegranates are one of the great treats of fall eating. Folks in California, Arizona, and Texas may well be able to find locally grown pomegranates, but if you're in a chillier or much more humid climate, they will likely be from farther afield. Wherever yours are grown, enjoy these yummy ways to use these red, juicy seeded fruits before they're gone for another year! The easy tips and delicious recipes below will help you make the most of the uniquely sweet-tart flavor of pomegranates.
Want to know more? Read All About Pomegranates.
1. Eat Pomegranates Out of Hand
Photo © Molly Watson
Pomegranate seeds (well, technically arils or flesh-covered seeds) taste great on their own. Just peel and eat!
2. Pomegranate Salads
Photo © Molly Watson
They glisten like little rubies and dress up any salad. Just sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds in your favorite green salad or try one of these pomegranate-specific recipes:
3. Pomegranates In Desserts
Photo © Molly Watson
My favorite way to use pomegranates in desserts is simply to sprinkle a few seeds over ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet (like on the Pear Sorbet pictured here). But when you've had enough of that, try one of these recipes:
4. Pomegranate & Olive
Photo © Molly Watson
Pomegranate seeds go extremely well with olives (crazy but true!). Serve pomegranate seeds alongside olives (pictured here with a sprig of mint for color) with drinks or sprinkle black olive tapenade with a few pomegranate seeds for a fabulous tart-sweet-salty-bitter burst of flavors.
5. Pomegranate Bruschetta
Photo © Molly Watson
Make simple fall and winter bruschetta by spreading a bit of goat cheese on toasted baguette slices and topping with minced red onion, minced parsley, and some pomegranate seeds.
6. Pomegranate Dip
Photo © Molly Watson
Whirl some pomegranate seeds with roasted red peppers, walnuts, and a bit of fruity olive oil (season to taste with salt and pepper) to make a zingy spread perfect for spreading on crackers or serving as a dip with crudites.
See the full recipe here.
7. Pomegranate Juice
Photo © Molly Watson
If you're planning on making pomegranate juice, be sure to chose the largest, heaviest pomegranates you can find, since they will be the juiciest.
To juice a pomegranate you need to seed it, then get the juice out of the seeds. Sound tricky? It's really not. See how easy it is with How to Juice a Pomegranate.
