The Pomegranate: A Labor of Love

Seventy-five percent of California's annual pomegranate crop
is sold in the United States.

Pomegranates are in season.

The pomegranate (described by “Food Lover’s Companion” as “Nature’s most labor-intensive fruit”) only makes itself worth the incredible amount of trouble one must endure by virtue of its flavor. Tangy and tart and sweet, the gorgeous pomegranate beckons from its mounds in the produce store, and once it leads you into its trap, you’re suddenly confronted with the fact you’ve brought home a piece of fruit that might possibly take longer to peel than to actually consume.

Ah, but so be it. We only have them from October to January and – unlike so many things in our lives – they’re actually worth the trouble.

Of course, we’re hardly the first to be taken in. The Mesopotamians were seduced by them nearly 4,000 years ago; they’ve even insinuated themselves into Jewish tradition and the Muslim Quran (“Out of this do We bring forth close-growing grain; and out of the spathe of the palm tree, dates in thick clusters; and gardens of vines, and the olive tree, and the pomegranate: so alike, and yet so different!”).

But as to that little matter of actually getting to the juicy seeds, or arils, there’s no getting out of it. California’s Pomegranate Council insists that peeling a pomegranate is as easy as 1, 2, 3 but any method for peeling fruit involving at the very least a knife, a bowl full of water, and a strainer is not easy. So be it.

Here’s how to get to the delicious jewels inside:

• With a large knife, cut into the crown of the fruit, slicing it into four quarters
• Placing the pomegranate into the bowl of water pull the quarters apart and begin pulling the white membranes from the arils. The membranes will float to the top while the loose seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
• When you’ve separated all the arils, clear away the membranes and large pieces of skin, and then pour the contents of the bowl into a strainer. You’re now ready to eat.

You’re probably wondering: Are the seeds edible? The Pomegranate Council insists they are, and adds they’re a great source of fiber. I don’t care for them and spit them out, preferring to get my fiber from a bran muffin instead.