Reposting with a twist: How to clean a pomegranate without a mess

When I think of the Fall, one of the images that comes to mind is the eating of pomegranates. Those little rubies of juicy tartness that you can just pop into your mouth to wake up your tastebuds. Pomegranates are in season from September to February in the Northern Hemisphere, and we tend to eat them during October and November.


Pomegranates are one of the current, trendy "wonder foods" that you are seeing pop into salads, cocktails, curries and more on food blogs. TV cooking shows and restaurants. Every Fall, they are in my house. Always have been and always will be.  Of course, it has been part of the food chain much longer than my fascination. The pomegranate is being touted as a wonder food due to it's traditional medicinal uses that have been around for centuries.

In the Indian subcontinent's ancient Ayurveda system of medicine, the pomegranate has extensively been used as a source of traditional remedies for thousands of years.

The rind of the fruit and the bark of the pomegranate tree is used as a traditional remedy against diarrhea, dysentery and intestinal parasites. The seeds and juice are considered a tonic for the heart and throat, and classified as a bitter-astringent (pitta or fire) component under the Ayurvedic system, and considered a healthful counterbalance to a diet high in sweet-fatty (kapha or earth) components. The astringent qualities of the flower juice, rind and tree bark are considered valuable for a variety of purposes, such as stopping nose bleeds and gum bleeds, toning skin, (after blending with mustard oil) firming-up sagging breasts and treating hemorrhoids. Pomegranate juice (of specific fruit strains) is also used as eyedrops as it is believed to slow the development of cataracts. 

SOURCE: Wikipedia

Well then, eats those lovely arils (the "seeds")!!


As a wee one, I called them "yummy pits". You can see why. For my birthday, I would get one and my parents would sit me down in the middle of the den on a mat of newspapers and wearing old clothes where I could have at it. It was always a mess, but oh so good.


Well I have plenty of messes around my house these days, thank you. However, I want my kiddos to enjoy these fall treats, so I have been in pursuit of a cleaner alternative to the popping, crunching opening of a pomegranate I knew as a kid.


Supplies:

I {heart} my OXO mixing bowl

• Pomegranates

• Medium bowl 

• Water

• Kitchen knife

• Hand strainer

Procedure:
1) Fill bowl 2/3 of the way with water.
2) Slice X's into the base of each pomegranate and set into bowl to soak for 10 minutes.

3) Tear the pomegranates into 1/4s and gently roll the arils into bowl.

4) The pulp remnants will float on top and the seeds will sink.

5) Skim the excess pulp from the surface of the water and discard.
6) Scoop the arils from the bowl and remove any extra pieces of pulp that have strayed behind.

Your arils are ready for snacking, a favorite dish or cocktail.

All of this being said, I still think I will take my kiddos outside to enjoy the messy version of the pomegranate that made it so enjoyable to eat as child.


<<UPDATED: Oct. 31, 2011>>
And just to show I can handle being outdone. Here is POM's version...in a tux. Very classy. on Vimeo.  How to Open a Pomegranate in Six Movements from POM Wonderful.

How to Open a Pomegranate in Six Movements from POM Wonderful on Vimeo.

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