We’ve officially made it into pomegranate season and that means you’ll be seeing those little ruby red jewels of juice much more often. Pomegranates are an ancient fruit that have long been known for their health benefits. They are chock-full of antioxidants, lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, and are even said to have anti-cancer effects. But this delicious orb of health isn’t the easiest or prettiest thing to eat at first. The seeds (called arils) on the inside of the leathery red skin are what you eat from the fruit, and if you don’t know how to de-seed a pomegranate, it can be a mess. Click here for some easy instructions on how to get those precious little gems out of their shell without staining your hands and getting juice everywhere.

Image Credit: http://www.groveselections.com/

Now that you have de-seeded your pomegranate, you may be wondering what you should do with them.  The most popular way to eat them is to eat the seeds straight, since they are naturally delicious on their own. But there are so many other ways to eat them and use them with different foods. You could:

Put them on top of salads for an extra burst of color and flavor.

Top off your ice-cream or sorbet with them.

Pair them with olives for a sweet and salty experience.

Make a goat cheese and pomegranate bruschetta:

http://www.rockrecipes.com/pomegranate-and-goat-cheese-bruschetta/

Ingredients:

1 baguette
4 ounces fresh unripened goat cheese
1 pomegranate
garlic cloves

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

For Drizzle: In a small pot simmer the vinegar and brown sugar for 5 minutes, until the volume has decreased by half.

Cut your baguette on a sharp diagonal to create long pieces. Place on a baking sheet and put under the broiler until golden brown, then rub the top of the baguette pieces with fresh cut garlic cloves. Warm the goat cheese at 300 degrees for a few minutes then spread on top of baguette slices and top with pomegranate seeds and the balsamic-sugar mixture.

 

OR a peanut butter and pomegranate seed sandwich:

http://mylittlegourmet.com/breakfast/pomegranate-peanut-butter-sandwich/

Ingredients:

1 or 2 slices of your favorite sandwich bread

Peanut Butter

Pomegranate Seeds

Directions:

Toast your bread if you desire, spread as much peanut butter on as you wish, then top with pomegranate seeds!

OR guacamole:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Holiday-Guacamole/Detail.aspx?evt19=1
Ingredients:

1/2 white onion, minced

4 serrano chile peppers, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 avocados – peeled, pitted and diced

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 pear – peeled, cored and diced

1 cup seedless green grapes, halved

1 cup pomegranate seeds

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together the onion, chili peppers, and salt. Fold in the avocados and lime juice. Stir in pear, grapes, and pomegranate. Chill until serving.

 

The possibilities of pomegranate seeds are endless! So next time you stop into Carlino’s pick up a pomegranate and shop around to create your own pomegranate creation.