# I bought a pomegranate. What should I do with it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799 "2004-11-09T06:31:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/21 "2004-11-21T15:43:43Z")
> [@arjee](#): > > [Pomegranate and Feta Salad](http://www.erindavis.com/recipe-pomegranate%20and%20feta%20salad.html) > > Yummy. **arjee** , _Thank you_ for that recipe! I’ve made it twice now, and my family of meat and potato slayers devoured that salad down to the last pomegranite seed and the last bit of feta! I had to substitute raspberry vinegar for the red wine vinegar, and omitted the pine nuts, but damn! that’s tasty! And it was rather pleasant to just sit down with a pomegranite, turn on the TV, and pick out the seeds while mindlessly watching Spike TV for 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/22 "2004-11-21T15:49:22Z")
Got a garbage bin? ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/23 "2004-11-21T17:10:53Z")
Pomegranates are wonderful fruit. The easiest way to get out all the seeds is to slice the pomegranate in half, and then hold it upside down over a plate, and use something to tap the back of it and watch all the seeds fall out. To use them in cooking, there is a wonderful recipe I’ve had once – warm lamb and pomegranate. Basically get a large-ish leg of lamb, and cook it on a very very low heat for about 10 hours – the meat should be really tender and will literally fall off the bone. Shred the meat. leave to cool for a bit (you don’t want it hot, merely warm), and toss in the pomegranate seeds. Serve with a fresh green salad. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/24 "2004-11-21T17:18:44Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > And it was rather pleasant to just sit down with a pomegranite, turn on the TV, and pick out the seeds while mindlessly watching Spike TV for 20 minutes. I think the seeds of a pome **granite** might be a liitle wearing on the teeth 😃 ---
**Author:** ![arjee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@arjee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arjee)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/25 "2004-11-21T17:23:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Qadgop the Mercotan** > arjee, Thank you for that recipe! I’ve made it twice now, and my family of meat and potato slayers devoured that salad down to the last pomegranite seed and the last bit of feta! :::arjie glows from the acknowledgment from one of her favourite posters::: Pomegranate-curious and pomegranate-loving Dopers may want to check out this site: [http://www.pomegranates.org/nomess.html](http://www.pomegranates.org/nomess.html) It shows how to greatly reduce the mess of seeding a pomegranate. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/26 "2004-11-21T19:37:46Z")
I made a beautiful spinach salad with (among other things) pomegranate seeds for Christmas dinner a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, most of my family either just ate one bite to be polite or pushed the weird-red-things out of the way. Pity, because it was delicious and looked wonderfully Christmas-y, sort of like edible holly. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/27 "2004-11-21T19:48:39Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > Got a garbage bin? I second this notion. I love fruit, probably my favorite type of food behind certain types of meat. However the pomegranate angers and enfuriates me, and I advocate their mass destruction. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/28 "2004-11-21T20:03:21Z")
The juice of seven pomegranates three cups of sugar and 2/3 cups of corn syrup. It is boiling in the stove now and will hopefully become candy before the day is out. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/29 "2004-11-21T20:47:11Z")
> [@arjee](#): > > [Pomegranate and Feta Salad](http://www.erindavis.com/recipe-pomegranate%20and%20feta%20salad.html) > > Yummy. I sent that to my mom, cause she might actually give it a try. I’m…not culinarily gifted… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/30 "2004-11-21T20:55:15Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > I sent that to my mom, cause she might actually give it a try. I’m…not culinarily gifted… We’re not talking rocket science here, my friend. You don’t even have to turn on the oven or stove. Not even a blender. It’s pretty much: Get ingredients. Mix them together. Eat them. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/31 "2004-11-21T20:56:01Z")
> [@lee](#): > > The juice of seven pomegranates three cups of sugar and 2/3 cups of corn syrup. It is boiling in the stove now and will hopefully become candy before the day is out. Well that burnt. What a mess. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/32 "2004-11-21T22:09:36Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > I made a beautiful spinach salad with (among other things) pomegranate seeds for Christmas dinner a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, most of my family either just ate one bite to be polite or pushed the weird-red-things out of the way. Pity, because it was delicious and looked wonderfully Christmas-y, sort of like edible holly. Do you remember what was in it? I’ve got the other recipe bookmarked but am curious about yours as well. It might be better. ---
**Author:** ![arjee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@arjee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arjee)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/33 "2004-11-22T03:58:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by \*\*lee \*\* > > Well that burnt. What a mess. Oh no, **lee**! What a waste! And I was going to post and ask you how to make pomegranate candy! Is it such a mess that it might be easier just to throw out the pan? ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/34 "2004-11-22T04:56:11Z")
I did make after that pomegranate syrup. The seeds of seven pomegranates in sieve lined with 4 thicknesses of cheesecloth in a glass bowl with all the pith, skin and membranes removed. Press the seeds so that you pop them and the juice comes out. I used the wooden masher from our grinder to pop the seeds. Press after each fruit or even after each half fruit. After you have press all you can with the masher, gather up the cheese cloth and wring the remaining juice with your hands. Remove and discard the woody pulp that remains. Once you have the juice, all strained, add an equal amount of sugar and on medium heat bring to 180 F turn it down a bit and and and keep it at 200 F for about 4 minutes. Don’t let it get hotter or it could scorch. Bottle it according to the usual methods. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/35 "2005-10-28T11:53:00Z")
To those who spit out the seeds, I must give you all a :dubious: and a 😛 ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/36 "2005-10-28T15:17:32Z")
Might I suggest food fight? Squeeze the seeds in the right way and you can get a good spurt distance. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/37 "2005-10-28T15:34:01Z")
I love the seeds with cheese and crackers. Tangy cheeses are the best (like bleu), to counteract the sweetness of the pom seeds. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/38 "2005-10-28T17:04:46Z")
I haven’t had that much experience with pomegranates, and I always thought that eating one involved sucking the pulp off the inedible seeds. For any who can’t, or won’t eat the seeds, are they roastable? ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/39 "2005-10-30T14:15:04Z")
Just bought and ate (part) of my first pomegranate…wonderful! Why did it take me 48 years to try one? Part of the reason…as I’m de-seeding it, my elderly mom comes by to watch, and when I tell her what I’m doing, she says she could never figure out whether you were supposed to eat the seeds or spit them out, so she never bought one. Said all the articles she’d read about them never mentioned that fact, and since she hates anything that “only the sophisticated people know” she’d buy the juice (rarely, because it’s darned expensive) but shied away from the fruit. She also avoided mushrooms for 50 years until I fed her some, so this is a pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799/40 "2005-10-30T15:20:29Z")
Phoenix bait/bribes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-a-pomegranate-what-should-i-do-with-it/273799.md?page=3)