It’s not often that you get to introduce someone to a food they’ve never tasted before. The last time I had someone surprise me with a new taste was when my best friend, Ceres (very Greek and the queen of foods you’ve never tried before), gave me an Asian Pear. It looked like an apple, tasted like a cross between a melon and concord grapes, and had a sweet fragrance with a juicy crunch.
Last week, I had the fun of introducing another friend to the delectable taste of a ruby-red pomegrante. Her face lit up with delight as she savored the distinctive sweet and sour taste that exploded on her tongue in a short burst of flavor.
Pomegranates are Cait’s and my absolute favorite fruit in the whole entire world. And they are only available around here during November and December. They’re on the expensive side at $2.50 per fruit, but they’re worth the splurge.
The trick for most people is in figuring out how to open and eat the darn things. There are almost as many ways as there are people who like to eat them. This is how we do it. (My sous chef, Cait, is doing the demonstrating for you.)
STEP 1: Cut off the flowery end of the pomegranate, similar to cutting the top off a jack-o-lantern, so that it comes out in a cone-shape. (My apologies that the pictures aren’t brighter. Can’t remember the last time we had a sunny day around here — and it’s time for a better camera. Hint, hint, Santa. )
STEP 2: Score into sections.
STEP 3: Break the sections of the fruit open.
STEP 4: Eat and enjoy!
Tips & Warnings
- A ripe pomegranate is ruby red (not pink), and smooth (not leathery) and firm to the touch. It should feel heavy.
- The seeds are edible. Just pop a couple in your mouth and crunch away. Don’t waste your time trying to suck the juice off the seeds and then spit them out. It’ll drive you crazy.
- There’s a paper (rather than cloth) napkin in each photo for a reason. The juice of a pomegranate STAINS, and it’s a nearly impossible stain to get out. So pull open and eat carefully.
- You can do all of the above steps while keeping the pommegranate submerged in a bowl of water. This keeps the seeds from squirting and staining. The seeds will sink to the bottom and the pithy white (not edible) will float to the top.
If you have any faves for uncommon food tastes, please share. While Andrew could eat the same thing day in and day out for the rest of his life and be content, Cait and I are always looking for new adventures.
Karen,
Here’s a recipe that I had the exquisite pleasure of tasting at our book club Christmas party. Here’s the recipe that was shared with the group. You won’t regret trying this one if you are a chocolate lover. The flavor, texture, blend with cream was sheer perfection. Fair warning! . . . Addiction potential HIGH!
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Union Hotel: “Chocolate Cake”
7 oz. good-quality bittersweet cooking chocolate
(Sharffen Berger or Ghirardelli are good choices)
¾ c. butter
1½ c. strong coffee
¼ c. bourbon
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. cake flour
1½ c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
2 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. (This is not a misprint.)
2. Spray two 8.5”x4.5”x2.5” loaf pans or a Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Break chocolate into chunks; place chocolate, butter, and coffee in a heavy-bottomed pan of about 4-quart capacity. (If coffee is hot from brewing, this goes faster).
4. Place over low heat and stir almost constantly with a wooden spoon until the chocolate melts, then stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth and completely blended.
5. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes; beat in bourbon, eggs, and vanilla.
6. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, and sift thoroughly together.
7. Add flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in the pan, and beat with the wooden spoon until well blended and smooth.
8. Place batter in prepared pan(s) and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let cake cool for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
10. Beat the cream with the 2 tsp. vanilla until it barely stands in peaks; it should be fluffy, but thin enough to run down the sides of the cake when you place a spoonful on each serving.
11. Slice cake into thick slices and serve with cream.
Serves about 12.
Note: This recipe comes from California The Beautiful Cookbook. This recipe comes from the Union Hotel in Benicia. The cake is dark, rich, and moist without being too sweet.
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Enjoy,
“Sunshine”
Sunshine, my mouth is watering just reading this recipe! My bookgroup is next week. I’m going to try this. I’ll report back!
Thanks so much for sharing! :)
Karen,
Thanks for sharing how the cake was a huge success. I’ll enjoy sharing the information with the woman who brought it to our book club party.
As always . . . Love your blog!
“Sunshine”
It was so good that it has earned a spot at the front of my recipe box under the “Faves” tab! And I’m not even a chocolate nut (though a few in my book group are)!
This really helps. I bought 2 pomegranates (2 for $5) today and have no idea how to eat them. We’re going to add them to our fruit salad on Thanksgiving!
Can’t wait… thanks for the info!!
I’ve got a fluffy Maine coon cat too.
Bec, yes they are an expensive treat! But I don’t mind since they’re in season for such a short time. They’re delicious in salad. Hope you enjoy!
Yes, but how do you get the stains out of the carpet? I bought some pomegranate and berry juice on the weekend. My four year old loved it and was so excited he spilled it in two places. I used prosolve and it appeared to clean up quite nicely, but this morning the stain had spread and turned a bluish colour. I’m reading OxyClean, lemon juice and even…wait for it…the grease from hamburger helper. do you have any tried and true methods to share?
Heather’s last blog post..Love, unrequited
Hi Heather. I wish I had the magic solution for getting pomegranate stains out. I haven’t found anything. We’ve learned the hard way to eat them with aprons covering us to keep ourselves stain free.