Learn how to use this super-healthy fruit in your everyday cooking
Best to buy
Pomegranates are typically available September through November.
Cut & clean
Cut outer skin, tap out seeds from the cream-colored, inedible membrane. Suck the juice off
the seeds or chew whole.
Power food
Pomegranates are a good source of vitamin
C.
Super salad
Add a tangy health kick to your next salad by
simply tapping out raw seeds on mixed green salad. Dress with a balsamic vinaigrette.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Carefully cut through the thin outer skin, and then separate the seeds from the
cream-colored, inedible membrane. The seeds can be eaten raw, sprinkled on fruit salad,
strained and used as a paste in cooking, or as a condiment. In Indian cooking they are used
for a tart accent. Grenadine and other thick syrups are condensed from the pulpy part of the
fruit.
Buying and storing tips
Pomegranates are typically available September through November. Choose pomegranates with
good color and that feel heavy; avoid those with dry-looking, wrinkled, or cracked rind. They
will keep at room temperature for two to three days or in the refrigerator for up to three
months.
Varieties
Many varieties of pomegranate are available throughout the world. One of the main
characteristics that sets off the varieties is the different color of the pomegranate seeds,
which can be scarlet, dark pink, or light red.
Nutrition Highlights
Pomegranate, 1 fruit (raw)
Calories: 105
Protein: 1.46g
Carbohydrate: 26.4g
Total Fat: 0.46g
Fiber: 0.92g
*Good source of: Vitamin C (9.4mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good
source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily
Value.