Culinary Tips: How to Cut a Pomegranate

One of the wonderful reasons to celebrate Autumn and early Winter is because of the arrival of pomegranates into our stores and markets.  Grown throughout the world, in the US our pomegranates typically come from California and Arizona, and are in season from October through January.

The tangy and sweet culinary gem is the basis for so many delicious Fall recipes, but cutting open the fruit the wrong way can cause your kitchen to look like a gory crime scene!  Before we were in the know regarding the proper way to cut open a pomegranate, we had several frustrating episodes of splattered staining ruby red seed juices throughout our walls and kitchen appliances.   Today we are thrilled to share this video featuring Chef Akasha from Akasha Restaurant in Culver City, CA, demonstrating the correct way to cut and disassemble a pomegranate.

Key tips from the video:

• Using a sharp chefs knife, cut of the crown about a half inch from the top.
• Slice the sections through the white membrane. (we do this part in a bowl under water to avoid a mess)
• Separate the seeds in a bowl of water, and the membrane will float to the top as the seeds (aka arils) will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
• Strain the seeds removing any remaining membrane pieces.

[pro-player width=’550′ height=’353′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jho9NVKBZqE[/pro-player]

And here are several delicious (and antioxidant packed!) pomegranate chef recipes to inspire you:

• Cinnamon French Toast with Pomegranate Apple Compote from Chef Akasha
• Poached Pears with Pomegranate Gelato from Chef Jake Linzinmeir in Telluride Colorado
• Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Honey Dijon Dressing from Chef Michael LeClerc, 350 Main in Park City, Utah
• Pomegranate Cherry Chutney over Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Chef Kent Rathbun in Texas
• Seared Scallops with Pea Shoots and Pomegranate Buerre Fondue from Chef Roland Passot, La Folie in  San Francisco, CA