Pomegranates are much tougher to spell than to peel and seed.
How do you get from this gorgeous, tough skinned orb with a trumpet shaped stem to a plate of sparkling rubies that burst sweet tart juice in the most meager of drops?
First slice off a 1/4 inch from the top and bottom.
(This sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It’s not too different from supreming an orange, up to this point, which is why I wrote that post first. Or that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)
Next, score the pomegranate five or six times, from the top to the bottom. I score in between the seed clusters. To score, you slice just through the skin — no further, from top to bottom.
Peel back the skin, and break the pomegranate into sections.
It’s not a bad idea to have a couple paper towels handy to wipe up the magenta juice that splatters here and there.
Drop the sections into a large bowl of cold water, and gently start massaging them between your fingers. The seeds will fall to the bottom of the bowl, while the pithy membranes float to the top.
Scoop off the floating pith. Might want to swish your hands around a few times in the seeds, just to coax a few more clinging pith skins to give it up and float to the surface.
Finally, strain the seeds in a colander. Now they’re ready to use anyway you see fit — and they will keep in the refrigerator for a week or two.
Garnish salads, desserts (lovely on bread pudding or pumpkin cheesecake) or even on guacamole.
Pomegranates are in season between late October and early February, but peak season is now.
I picked one up for $2 at a local grocery store, and saw a package of fresh peeled seeds for — gulp — $6, which is one reason why I seed them myself.
The other reason is purely nonsensical. I just like the way they feel in my hands.