It's fall, and pomegranates are back in the market. Everyone loves the Pom juice these days -- a dash in a flute of champagne, with chai-infused vermouth and Courvoisier at Employees Only, or just floated on top of a tall glass of iced seltzer. But there's something kind of dangerous and sexual about the fruit -- a round red ball that splits open to reveal an overabundance of uniform blood red kernels and almost no pith. It's no wonder that Demeter's daughter Persephone couldn't resist the temptation of sucking on seven pomegranate seeds during her abduction and imprisonment in Hades' underworld. As my roommate said, "This must be what it's like to eat pussy. Not that I would know."
Look for heavy specimens that aren't too dry or pale. To open, score a hemicircle across the blossom end of the fruit just through the skin and break the fruit into two halves. The sacs are sweet, tart, crisp but full of juice with a little crunchy white nub in the middle. They're apparently also very high in antioxidants.
In Thai, the word for pomegranate is the same word for ruby, and the thin membranes of the best specimens should look encrusted with dark jewels. Throw the juicy seeds in salads, with dressings sweetened with Middle Eastern pomegranate molasses. Pomegranate seeds are sprinkled atop Chiles en Nogada (stuffed poblano chiles with walnut sauce). Garnish a carrot ginger soup with the garnet nuggets. I got mine at my local greengrocer for $2.49; FreshDirect has them for $2.99/each.
I've been kinda scared to try the juice version but i love the fruit itself. just recently discovered it too. i love the taste of the seeds bursting in my mouth..mmmm!!
i love the juice, but it's an expensive habit. i encourage you to try it though, one part juice to three parts seltzer. it's my favorite refresher. even better -- also add crushed fresh mint or peppermint.
was it seven seeds? for some reason, i always thought it was four
i always thought it was six, then i read it was seven, now you're saying it's four -- who knows. i bet it's different depending on what climate you're in -- 7 months of inclement weather or four or six. maybe in california it's only three.
where's joseph campbell when you need him?
Do you know the best way to liberate the seeds from a pomegranate? Do it under water! It's easy and you don't get red juice everywhere. Just take a quarter pomegranate and flip it inside out in a big bowl of water. The seeds practically fall out themselves, and then sink to the bottom of the bowl. So much easier than picking them all out one by one.