Here are 20 things to do with pomegranate seeds. Like nature’s edible rubies, pomegranate arils (commonly called pomegranates seeds) add sweet-tart flavor and gorgeous color to many dishes from breakfast to dessert.
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Discovering Pomegranates
Sitting outside on the curb as a kid, I discovered the wonder of pomegranates. The ruby sweet-tart liquid from the juicy arils ran down my fingers, staining my hands and nails red. And if you weren’t careful, you’d have permanently pink speckled clothes as well. Such a strange but wonderful fruit. Pomegranates seemed pretty exotic then.
Whole or Packaged?
While whole pomegranates are available in fall (October through December), convenient packages of pomegranate seeds are at the grocery store year round. That makes it easy for everyone to enjoy these seeds without the mess of opening a pomegranate. But really, they are not hard to open and the mess is easily contained.
How to Open
With deep red to pinkish tough skin and inner white membranes, the apple-shaped pomegranate may look difficult to open but it’s not. Some people cut them open and whack with a wooden spoon, but that is messy. The best way is the under water method.
Cut a little off the top and bottom with a sharp knife, score the vertical ridges on the outside with the knife, then break open the pomegranate in a large bowl of cold water.
Next, loosen the sections and free the seeds from the white membranes with your fingers. Discard the membranes and then drain off the seeds. Need a visual? Here’s a link that shows you how to open a pomegranate.
How to Buy
When buying pomegranates, go for smooth-skinned fruit that feels heavy for it’s size. The heavier it is the more juice it contains. Don't worry about small scratches. After purchase, pomegranates last up to a week on the kitchen counter or several weeks in the refrigerator.
Fresh or Freeze?
Fresh seeds last a week in the refrigerator and they freeze. To freeze seeds, spread them on a quarter size rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and place in the freezer for a few hours. When they are frozen, scrape them off the tray and into freezer bags or an airtight container. They will keep for weeks in the freezer for a multitude of uses.
20 Things to do With Pomegranate Seeds
- Sprinkle pomegranate seeds in salads (one of my favorite ways to use them). Add to a spinach salad with pecans, blue cheese, bacon, and red onion, or an arugula, orange, and avocado salad dressed with a Champagne or red wine vinaigrette.
- Try avocado pomegranate guacamole, it is terrific!
- Brighten oatmeal or porridge for breakfast
- Jazz up Greek yogurt or ice cream
- Make a pomegranate smoothie with milk of choice, protein, pomegranate seeds and pomegranate powder
- Create a yogurt parfait for breakfast with pomegranate seeds, berries and granola
- Peel and slice fresh oranges into segments, sprinkle with the seeds and mint for a beautiful salad or dessert.
- Create a breakfast fruit salad with orange segments, grapefruit segments, bananas, apples, berries, and pomegranate seeds
- Add a festive touch to a glass of Champagne or sparkling wine
- Make pomegranate Shirley Temple for the kids with ginger ale
- Sprinkle the seeds over sautéed chicken breasts
- As an appetizer, make goat cheese crostini and sprinkle the arils on top instead of nectarines
- Stir into wild rice or wild and brown rice blends along with chopped chives, parsley and chopped nuts for a beautiful and healthy pilaf
- Add a twist to quinoa Tabouleh salad using pomegranate seeds instead of tomatoes
- Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on butternut-apple soup or curried butternut carrot soup as a beautiful garnish.
- Make a Thanksgiving cranberry-pomegranate relish
- Use them as a brilliant garnish for baby green beans with shallots and pecans for Thanksgiving or any holiday
- Purchase pomegranate vinegar and make a pomegranate vinaigrette for this spinach and pomegranate salad
- Use them as garnish for dark chocolate pudding or mousse.
- Although I've never tried one, a pomegranate margarita sounds pretty good!
Other Forms of Pomegranate
- Pomegranate powder for smoothies; it's a terrific power add.
- Find pomegranate molasses, also called pomegranate syrup, in many stores, online and at middle eastern markets.
- Fresh pomegranate juice can be quite tart, and the bottled juices are usually high in added sugar. Read labels before buying. And it's better to eat the fruit than drink the juice so you get the fiber.
Part of a Healthy Diet
Packed with health benefits like vitamin C and fiber, pomegranate seeds are downright beautiful as well as delicious. No doubt about it, they are part of a healthy diet, so try these ideas and find your favorite way to add these juicy seeds to your diet.
carol k says
I have a pomegranate tree and love to freeze them for use throughout the year! I was wondering if it might be possible to 'juice' them on the stovetop - maybe put the seeds in a pot with a little water (as little as possible to keep from burning) or even some pom. juice, and heat? I know when i do this with cranberries, they will release juices easily. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience trying this? thank you!
Sally Cameron says
Hi Carol, I have not tried that. Do you have a juicer? You could try that. Or blending and straining? I have frozen them whole and used in muffins and smoothies, and you can use at Thanksgiving for a combo cranberry-pomegranate sauce. Recipe on my site. Lucky you to have a tree! Nothing like fresh off the tree.
Tania says
I juiced a bunch this year, then made grenadine.
Blended the seeds in the Vitamix, then strained using paper towel lined mesh strainer. Worked very well, the juice was lovely.
Now trying to figure out what to do with the next batch!
Sally Cameron says
That sounds great Tania! Make pomegranate syrup? If you want lower sugar use the Keto Syrup (versus simple syrup), find it on Amazon. Made with monk fruit and allulose. Its' great. Then use it for desserts? Oatmeal? Yogurt? Or stir into sparkling water.
Amber says
I have never had them cooked on a stove top, but have used them baked in bread, and I can say the seeds themselves soften when baked. The baked seeds gave a crunch similar to nuts in bread. I was never into the hardness of the seed at that time (this was about 10 years ago). Before then I had always just eaten the soft flesh/juice from around it and tossed the seeds. If we hadn't had a tree, I would've just bought juice.
Rosemary says
Can you freeze them? I've got a surplus!
The arils are great sprinkled on top of lamb tangines.
Sally Cameron says
Yes you can freeze them. And lucky you! After removing the seeds (called arils), scatter them in a flat layer on a rimmed baking sheet that you can fit in your freezer. Freeze, then store them in a bag or glass container. Some people put them in ice cube trays to freeze.
Adriana Baggio says
This is not mentioned!!!! I separate the "erils" from the skin and membranes into a bowl. And then eat them with a spoon!!!! Simple and delicious!!!
Carmen says
Hmm I bet they'd be good in a sour cream\cream cheese spread. Maybe with a lil Splenda and vanilla(?)
Sally Cameron says
I'm not sure Carmen, but if you experiment please report back. They are so pretty I prefer to use them on top of things versus mixing them in, but that just me!
Beth says
Can you cook them to make seeds softer?
Sally Cameron says
I've never really cooked them so i am not sure if that would make a difference. Usually I add them raw to salads or other dishes as a garnish.
Mary says
Do you eat the hard seed or just the stuff around it?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Mary. Good question! You eat the whole thing, the whole little ruby jewel that is the pomegranate seed. They are actually called arils. The ruby fruit is tart sweet, and there is sometimes a little crunch from the center. Good for you too! Lots of vitamin C for one thing. Hope this helps.
Carolyn says
Very informative ....never had seeds before and I'm 78 !
Joyce Phillips says
I have bought one pomegranate which I normally love but this one is very sharp and I cannot eat it. I have sprinkled lots of sugar on it but can't sweeten it enough. Can you stew it and hopefully eat it afterwards.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Joyce, unfortunately I would toss it if it doesn't taste good. That is the difficult part of buying something like pomegranates. You can tell if they are going to be good. Trying to make it taste good by adding a lot of sugar isn't a healthy option.
Lynda Larson says
Are the seeds supposed to be as hard as stones?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Lynda. No, pomegranate seeds (arils) should be soft on the outside with a small kind of seed at the center that is also soft and totally edible.
Beth says
I was wondering the same thing. I bought some in cups and there is hardly any taste to them and they are very hard and crunchy. ??
Sally Cameron says
Hi Beth. Hmm, I don't know why they didn't have much taste. Like most fruit, sometimes they taste great and are sweet and sometimes not. I think about summer fruit, and same thing. Sometimes you get a sweet peach or nectarine, and sometimes they have little flavor. The pomegranate seed inside is hard and crunchy, yes, but the flesh surrounding the seed should be softer. Wish I had a better answer for you!
Greg Barwis says
Great pomegranate ideas, thanks Sally!
I made fresh guacamole and included pomegranate seeds and diced mango, served it with freshly-made plantain chips - it was heavenly. I think the original idea may have come from Epicurious for that one, it's a bit of a blur at this point 🙂
Madonna says
I want to try this with the goat cheese and in the salad. Just a spoon of these make everything seem so exotic.
BTW, I gave your scalloped potatoes a trial run. The technique of cooking them in milk and then placing them in the baking dish makes them cook evenly, the herbs took it over the top. I couldn't stop eating them. Delicious! Thanks again.
Sally says
Thanks for reporting back Madonna! On the potatoes, to take them up a notch for the holidays, add a layer of sautéed (and drained) wild mushrooms in the center, or even greens like kale, chopped, steamed, drained and layer in the center. I've done them for Christmas with chanterelles and it's fantastic.
Mary@SiftingFocus says
Thanks, Sally, for the helpful info on how to remove the seeds from a pomegranate. I had never heard of the water method and now I can't wait to give it a try. The photos are beautiful - I especially love the first photo. Wish I could reach in and enjoy that pomegranate right now.
Sally says
Love this post and these photos Sally. I recently bought a pomegranate, just because. But haven't quite ventured to open it and partake of those glistening seeds. Thanks for so many ideas!
Shut Up & Cook | The Attainable Gourmet says
Adore pomegranate seeds...one of my favorites! They truly do make anything more fun and festive. This is one of my faves: Arugula Goat Cheese Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Pomegranates http://theattainablegourmet.com/15-minute-meals/back-to-reality-arugula-salad-with-grilled-shrimp-pomegranate-and-goat-cheese/
Happy Sunday!