Pomegranate Season
Grow Your Own Pomegranates
Buying Pomegranates
Look for plump, rounded pomegranates (they dry out as they're stored, and older specimens will have started to shrink a bit) that feel heavy for their size and are free of cuts, slashes, or bruises.Pomegranates do not ripen after they're picked, and yet bruise relatively easily when ripe. This means a lot of commercial pomegranates are picked a bit under-ripe. You are much more likely to find truly ripe, fresh pomegranates at farmers markets, co-ops that get deliveries directly from farmers, and farm stands.
Storing Pomegranates
Pomegranates store beautifully. Keep them on a countertop for up to a week or two, in a cool, dark place for up to a month, or refrigerated for up to two months.The seeds (really arils--flesh-covered seeds) can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week, and frozen up to a year. Note: defrosted arils are a bit mushy so they work in cooked recipes, but aren't great to eat out-of-hand.
Preparing Pomegranates
The edible part of a pomegranate is its arils (flesh-covered seeds). Separating the arils from the peel and internal white membrane is a bit of a task, but not a complicated one.Pomegranate Nutrition
Pomegranates have come into dietary favor recently for their high antioxidant levels. They are also full of vitamin C and potassium.Pomegranate Nutrition Information


