Pomegranates Galore!

I LOVE pomegranates, so imagine my delight today when a vendor at Root's offered to sell the rest of his case of pomegranates to me for $5.00 (it was cold and windy, and he was eager to close up and go home)!  I couldn't believe my good fortune, especially since I had just paid $2.00 a piece at Giant (on special!) last week!

I never even knew what a pomegranate was before my friend Julia introduced me to them a few years ago, and I've been hooked ever since.  They're wonderful at Christmas - they're so festive and remind me of expensive jewels.  They're great alone, in salads, or even chocolate covered, as my nephew and I discovered this year.  He loves them even more than I do - it's fun sharing a love of them with him!

Pomegranates are in season October through January.  Select them by weight - the heavier the better.

If you're new to pomegranates, you'll need some instruction on how to peel them.  Watch a YouTube video, or follow my directions below:

First, slice off the crown.

Then, cut out the center core just at the top and score the sides, taking care to cut only through the rind and not into the seeds; otherwise, you'll have juice dripping out.

Immerse the pomegranate in a bowl of water, break it into sections and remove the seeds from the white pith.  Be sure to stay under the water; if not you'll end up with:

No matter how careful I am, I always end up with a few splatters!

Simply skim the white pith off the top of the water, then drain the seeds in a colander.
Enjoy!