[Sca-cooks] Persephone and pomegranite seeds

[Irmgart]

This is my favorite time of year in the States because we can get
pomegranates!

I've been eating 1-2 a week since the middle of October and am sad that
they're now going out of season.

I've introduced them to a lot of people this year. My favorites have been
the ones from the local Food Lion which are PomWonderful brand (same folks
that make PomWonderful Pomegranate Juice). They're freaking *huge!* About
twice the size of "normal" poms.

A couple of my friends seem to prefer the "start at the blossom end and try
to peel the tough leathery skin and membrane off until you get to the yummy
garnet seeds" approach. This does work, but it's usually way too much like
work for me!

I usually use a knife to score the skin into sections (kind of like an
orange peel, go about as deep as you would for a thick skinned orange, and
do it over a plate or napkins, it's *messy*!), then try to pry it apart into
chunks. If that doesn't work, of if I'm feeling lazy, I'll hold it over a
bowl and just cut the thing in half (either direction, I tend towards
blossom to stem end rather than horizontally).

Pluck the seeds out and eat them! you can either eat the hard actual seed
part, or not. I do, a lot of people don't. There's plenty of "stuff" left
over either way, so not eating the hard part of the seeds is not the end of
the world. :)

If it's a really plump one, be sure you have plenty of napkins and possibly
a damp towel, or a very close friend! (yes, poms can be *that* kind of food
^_^)

Hope that helps!

-Irmgart


On 11/23/05, Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu> wrote:
>
> I am sure you've seen them. You've just not known what
> they were. Search pomegranate under google images and there are
> all sorts of photos. Ignore the girl advrtising Juicy Couture Smocked
> Tub..!
>
> Here's a good description from the BBC
>
> Pomegranate
> Originating in Asia, the pomegranate tree is mentioned in the Old
> Testament and has been a symbol of religious significance for centuries
> in many countries. Now cultivated in the warm climates of South America,
> the Middle East, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean, the fruit is
> available in Britain from early to mid-winter. About the size of a large
> orange, it has a leathery skin with a blush of yellow and red. Inside
> there is spongy pith filled with seeds, which are, in turn, surrounded
> by a juicy, ruby red pulp. Eating a pomegranate can be a lengthy process
> as each pip has to be individually extracted, the juicy pulp eaten and
> the pips discarded (although they can be eaten if you find this too
> fiddly). The easiest way to extract the juice is by crushing the seeds
> through a sieve with the back of a ladle. This can be used to flavour
> mousse, fool, ice cream or sorbet. Grenadine is pomegranate syrup; it is
> great in drinks and is a good addition to the cocktail cabinet.
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/in_season/december.shtml
>
> Johnnae
>
> Stefan li Rous wrote:
>
> > So pomegranites were known in Italy and Greece in classical times? Or
> > has the meaning of this name changed through the centuries and been
> > applied to different fruits? I don't think I've even seen a
> > pomegranite. The seeds are edible?
> >
> >
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