The Great Fall Fruit You Won't Find at the Farmers' Market: Pomegranates

Gothamist's favorite fall fruit by far is the pomegranate. Just don't look for it at the farmers' market. Without the proper dry, hot climate, local farmers can't produce these tart, ruby-red fruits, which makes us thankful for long-distance produce. You can find them at most supermarkets and we've also spotted them on lots of street produce carts. Prized by the Greeks (both ancient and modern) and the Jews, among many others, pomegranates have long been a symbol of fertility because of their juicy arils, packed tight within the fruit.

It takes a little patience to open the fruit and extract the arils, but it's not difficult once you know how. While there's plenty of recipes out there to make use of the pomegranate itself and/or its juice, our favorite way to eat them is out of hand. (They're just too irresistible to not eat as you're picking them out of their pods.)

Occasionally, though, we'll have enough restraint to not eat them right away but instead put them on top of cereal or mixed with Greek yogurt. So if you've never tried a pomegranate, now is the time. And if you're a pomegranate fan already, please share your favorite way to eat them.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Allison Bojarski in Food on October 19, 2005 11:30 AM

Comments [rss]

Chef Jim

For great recipes check out http://www.ponwonderful.com. I am passionate for the rice pilaf and lamb chops with Pom sauce, yummy, also added to salads great way to offset goat cheese!

Kath Hansen

I like to create a yummy, Christmas-y salad with mixed greens, pomegranate seeds, sliced pears (must be perfectly ripe), and walnuts. Dress with a simple balsamic vinagrette. Very pretty on a holiday table.

pommy

They are also used in India to settle the stomach and prevent the runs.

PlasmoNYC

i like to add them to a traditional sicilian salad of dandelion greens, fresh garlic and olive oil. Mmmm.

I found it easiest to get at the arils by quartering the fruit and pulling back orthogonally againts inner membranes. Kinda like trying to turn the fruit inside out.

Dont do this with your fave white sweater. the dye in pomegranantes is forever.

p/o

couldn't agree more. i love pomegranates, and look forward to this time of year the same way i look forward to cherries in the late spring/early summer.

my favorite way is just the way you decribe: pull them open and just pick away.

Rose Fox

Broil a steak to a lovely medium-rare. Slice it thinly. Wrap slices around pomegranate arils. Consume with much orgasmic moaning.

janine

My mom used to get me pomerganites every fall and make us eat them in the back yard. You can get into a pretty good seed spitting contest (if you have the space).

C

I once had them at a restaurant as a topping to baba ghanoush. The sweet-tart crunch of the pomegranate was a great contrast to the cool smoothy goodness of the spread/dip.

Forewarning for fresh pomegranate newbies: the juice stains and it's really hard to get out. No dribbling when you're shoveling in those little seeds!