Pomegranates are considered one of the superfruits that we must have in our diet to boost our physical health and immune system. They are round red berry fruits that look like apples but have a crown-shaped stem and contain edible juicy seed pods called arils that have a sweet-tart taste, especially when they are ripe. 

You can enjoy the taste of these pomegranate arils in various ways. One way is to eat them as a snack using a spoon, and another way is to infuse them in some of our favorite deliciously good food recipes that can easily be done at home. Want to know what these recipes are? Read along to know more.

Winter Fruit Salad

If you want to have a healthy mixture of fruits to pair with your meal, you must try preparing this simple yet delicious winter fruit salad recipe at home. In making this recipe, you will only need to drizzle your salad dressing, which is a mixture of honey, lime juice, poppy seeds, and mint, over your mixture of slices of apples, pears, kiwi, clementine’s, and pomegranate arils. 

Of course, when preparing this recipe, you must first ensure that all your ingredients are well-prepped, especially the pomegranate arils. People think that prepping a pomegranate is easier than you think. And it is really. There are doable uncomplicated steps and tips to observe when removing the seeds from the pomegranate fruit that can save you from having messy fingers and a messy kitchen. These tips include:

1. Prepare your kitchen tools such as a paring knife, a chopping board, a colander, and two large bowls, with one containing cold water. Always wear a dark-colored apron and avoid wearing a white shirt when preparing a pomegranate, in case the preparation gets messy with all its juicy and pulpy arils.
2. Wash the pomegranate fruit thoroughly with cold water, and dry it using a clean towel.
3. Using your sharp paring knife, make a shallow opening cut around the pomegranate’s top center part, where the crown-shaped stem should be. Avoid cutting the skin too deep to prevent wounding the arils underneath the skin. 
4. Pull off the top center section where you made the opening cut to expose the insides of the pomegranate. Look for the white membranes that separate the arils. The white membranes would serve as your guide to score lines to quarter or divide the pomegranate into sections.
5. Rip these sections apart by pulling them one by one with your fingers.
6. After that, remove the pomegranate arils gently from each section, and put them in the large bowl with the cold water.
7. Remove the excess white membranes that float on the cold water, and drain the water from the arils using a colander to enjoy them for this recipe.

Pomegranate Juice Drinks

Quite thirsty and craving to try something new? Quench that thirst by making a glass of pomegranate juice drink for yourself. This homemade recipe only needs a high-quality blender and double-mesh strainer to make. The procedure can also be done for approximately 10 mins if you already prepared your pomegranate seeds.

In making this recipe, you have to pour a considerable amount of pomegranate arils into a blender and blend them until all the arils have been crushed. Then, using your double-mesh strainer, separate the juice from the pulp. Press the pulp on the strainer using a spatula to extract all the pomegranate juices. You may refrigerate this juice to cool before drinking, or you may opt to drink it right away. 

Pomegranate Roasted Vegetables

Add a twist on your favorite roasted vegetable dish by adding tasty pomegranate seeds and juice into it. In preparing this recipe, you must first roast your chosen vegetables in the oven. While doing so, you may prepare the vinaigrette, a mixture of seasoned pomegranate juice and olive oil, used as the vegetable salad dressing. 

Pomegranate Scones

Baking goods for dessert is fun, especially if you try a new ingredient as an alternative to your usual recipe. Try baking scones at home with pomegranate seeds as part of the ingredients, and you will enjoy a new homemade taste that you will surely love.

In baking pomegranate scones, you will need to prepare two cups of flour, a ⅓ cup of sugar, a teaspoon of baking powder, a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, a ½ teaspoon of salt, eight tablespoons of unsalted frozen butter, an egg, a ½ cup of sour cream, and lastly, a ½ of pomegranate seeds.

Roasted Chicken with Pomegranate Salsa

Tired of having your usual boring roasted chicken meat for dinner? Improve your chicken meal recipe by adding a pomegranate salsa. Pomegranate salsa can easily be made at home by combining the pomegranate arils, jalapeno, cilantro, onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cumin into a large bowl. Then, refrigerate this mixture for about an hour before serving it together with your roasted chicken.

Takeaway

Pomegranates are rich in folic acid and vitamins A, C, and E. They also have antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-tumor properties that are beneficial to our health. Thus, having pomegranates as a part of our meal recipes is greatly recommended and a must-try at home.