For the love of the pomegranate (recipe round-up and tips)
Were it not for the arrival of the vibrant pomegranate in winter, I might never temporarily release my affections for summer berries.
Fortunately, this fruit is bright and juicy, like my long lost raspberries and strawberries, and almost as versatile. It certainly has a spot in my refrigerator drawer and brings a welcome crunch and a pop of color to drab winter foods.
I don’t buy into all the health claims and I don’t drink POM frequently, due to the high sugar content, but I love, love sprinkling the fruit’s arils (seeds) onto salads and sides.
Here are a few of my favorite recipes featuring pomegranate.
First, though, do you know how to de-seed a pomegranate? When I was just a girl, I would bring a pocket of change to the grocery store and buy myself a pomegranate, alongside my mothers’ practical purchases. We lived in the Yukon, Canada’s frozen north, so they were outrageously expensive, but I preferred them to candy.
Back then, I had all the time in the world to leisurely pull apart the pomegranate, and eat it, seed-by-seed. After all, I was savoring the experience. A taste of the exotic and a reminder of sunnier settings, when I was locked in with snow and ice for a good seven months.
Now? I’m often in a hurry. So here are two methods I used for de-seeding a pomegranate, depending on whether I want to keep really clean or get the seeds out rapidly:
- The clean way: loosened in a bowl of water, as demonstrated in this (short) video from Kelly of Just a Taste.
- The quick way: cut and tapped upside down, as demonstrated in this (long) video on LifeHacker.
Let me know which method you prefer in the comments.
Pomegranate recipe round-up (from the archives)
Citrus & Pomegranate Salad with Vanilla Syrup
During a season of extravagant eating, this festive salad is entirely guilt-free. It features an array of winter citrus and crimson pomegranate, presented prettily in a fresh take on a fruit salad.
Get the recipe: Citrus & Pomegranate Salad
Photo by Shaina
Apple Pomegranate Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
This particular salad pairs Lacinato kale with crisp apples, tangy pomegranate, slightly sweet shallots, and a good, salty feta. It’s topped with a honey-sweetened champagne and lemon vinaigrette that brings all the flavors together seamlessly.
Get the recipe: Apple Pomegranate Kale Salad
Fennel & Pomegranate Salad with Pecans
For the salad, the pomegranate arils, toasted pecans and vinaigrette can be prepared in advance, so when lunchtime rolls around, all you have to do is chop up an apple and fennel bulb and toss!
Get the recipe: Fennel & Pomegranate Salad with Pecans
A Christmas salad of winter greens & seasonal fruit
Not only does this slightly bitter, crunchy salad of winter greens boast the colors of Christmas, but it offers a welcome burst of acidity at a time when foods tend to be so rich. I think you’re going to want to stock some kale and pomegranate in the refrigerator this week.
Get the recipe: A Christmas salad
Winter Sangria with Citrus & Pomegranate
This dark and delicious winter sangria rivals its summer counterpart. It’s perfumed with clementines and sliced pears, and garnished prettily with fresh pomegranate arils. It’s lovely served with a straw so you can sip and scoop up the wine-infused fruits, and makes a big batch – so perfect for entertaining.
Get the recipe: Winter Sangria
Pomegranate Sparklers
Toast the holidays or the coming new year with nonalcoholic drinks made with pomegranate, It’s a simple and festive drink appropriate for celebrants of all ages.
Get the recipe: Pomegranate Sparklers
Pink Grapefruit & Pomegranate Marmalade
There are still plenty of fun preserving projects possible during the darker months of the year, and this festive marmalade is one of them! It would make an ideal homemade gift for handing out over the holidays, or keep it for yourself to open up on Christmas morning.
Get the recipe: Pomegranate Marmalade
Photo by Shaina
Honey Pomegranate Glazed Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a quick and easy side to any family dinner. Adding a bit of pomegranate-laced honey, which can be made up in advance and saved in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, gives this dish extra flair without a lot of work. A sprinkling of pecans finishes the dish.
Get the recipe: Honey Pomegranate Glazed Brussels Sprouts
Chocolate Pavlova with Winter Fruits
This airy-fairy dessert will woo you with its combination of tart and sweet, creamy and crunchy. The chocolate meringue is completely decadent and provided the perfect ‘bowl’ for the pomegranate and cream.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Pavlova with Winter Fruits
But wait! Here are a few more ideas:
- Pomegranate and Lime Olive Oil Yogurt Cupcakes :: Food for My Family
- No-Bake Cheesecake with Pomegranate Garnish :: Just a Taste
- Pomegranate Dark Chocolate Tart :: Eat the Love
- Gingered Clementine and Pomegranate Shrimp :: Food for My Family
- Homemade Grenadine Syrup :: Bluebonnets & Brownies (then make these)
How do you like to eat pomegranates?
I’m all for the water method. We recently saw the whack-with-a-spoon method and tried it, but half of the arils were damaged and it was definitely a mess.
MMM- I do love a nice pomegranate during the winter season. These recipes you provided will defo be tried out over the next few weeks. I love the sound of your pomegranate marmalade too. I would like to know if I could use some of your links on my new blog – http://www.smileyculture.com/
Thanks for asking, Jake. Feel free to link back to this post or any of these recipes, but please do not take any photos or republish any recipes. Thanks. A
Thanks for the tips on de-seeding using the water method! I’ve only tried the whack method and it makes such a mess that I hardly buy pomegranates. I’m adding a pomegranate to my grocery list right now. 🙂
I have 3 pomegranates in my fruit basket right now and I am so excited about several of these recipes! First up is kale salad for lunch. We also love pomegranate seeds as a topping for homemade yogurt…delicious!
Thanks as always for a great post!
That’s what I’m having for lunch, too. 😉
Great recipes and tips, Aimee! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
What lovely recipes! I’ve got two pomegranates and I was not sure what to do with them. Thanks to this post I am ready to try something delicious! I still can’t get that recipe Chocolate Pavlova with Winter Fruits you posted last month out of my head either. 🙂
It’s a good one, Julie!
This seems like a silly question but do you use the pomegranate flesh for anything? I’ve seen just the seeds sold and wondered if I would miss out on something just by buying the seeds.
Those honey-glazed brussels sound and look delish! Perfect for any winter meal.
Nope, not a thing!! If you are going to use them up within 2-3 days, just buy the seeds, but the whole pom lasts a lot longer.
I love eating arils just straight from the bowl (I prefer the underwater method, btw). I do have my favorite Holiday Salad as well. Honeycrisp apples and dried fruit soaked in a sugar syrup spiked with warm seasonal spices and then pomegranate sprinkled on top. Say that in one breath! Such beautiful jewels.
Hold on, did someone say sangria?!? :p
I was literally deseeding one for my kids’ lunch (and mine) today and thinking, how many other ways I can I use these little beauties before they go out of season! Love the marmalade idea!! And the sparkler 🙂
Aimee, what a wonderfully comprehensive post on the queen of all fruits. We adore pomegranate in our family. The children love taking time to release the arils and eat them like lollies. My favourite recipe for their use at the moment is one of Ottonlenghi’s. Bake some eggplant, drizzle with garlic, buttermilk and yoghurt dressing and then sprinkle with pomegranate arils. Delicious! I’ll definitely give some of the recipes you list a go as pomegranates are in season here at the moment. Caro xx
We use the underwater method. Usually eat them plain and tossed in green salad. As fancy as I have ever gotten is putting them in Jello. Your recipes inspire me to do more. The marmalade looks delicious and I just picked some kale from the winter garden. Thanks!
Fresh kale? Sounds amazing!
Aimee, all of these look amazing, though the image of the citrus & pom salad with vanilla syrup (!!! holy cow!!!) has been dancing around my brain since the post arrived in my inbox. I’m also looking forward to making the marmalade, the pavlova, the fennel salad, the sparkler…oh, right. The whole list. Thanks for sharing!
Love! My almost-4-year-old just discovered how fun the water method is the other day. And my 18 month old loves to eat the seeds 🙂 Trying the Marmalade… I regularly make cranberry jam around this time of year… but maybe I’ll try putting some pomagranate in it too… perhaps the juice, though.
This is great! I love pomegrantes.
I really fell in love with pomegranates in Israel. Mixing some middle eastern flavors like pomegranate molasses and tahina seemed so weird to me before but now I can’t get enough! I love pomegranate molasses and tahina over sweet potatoes or brussels sprouts especially.
http://neohomesteading.com/cure-what-ails-you-homemade-pomegranate-molasses/