What Part Of A Pomegranate Do I Eat?

Not everyone is in agreement about what parts of fruits you can eat; for example, some people eat apple cores and seeds, while others don't because the seeds contain a chemical precursor to cyanide. As some fruits such as oranges have inedible seeds, you might think all seeds are inedible and that you should spit them out. For pomegranates, this could be time-consuming, given the small size of the red pulp, or aril, and seed. Luckily, the seed within the pulp is edible. The rind and yellowish tissue that hold the arils, though, are not.

Description

Pomegranates are tough-skinned red fruits native to the region from the Middle East to India. Much of the United States' supply of pomegranates is grown in California, although they can also grow in Hawaii, Arizona and southern Texas. The calyx end, opposite the stem end, is a slightly elongated and jagged-edged column. Wash the pomegranate. Put the entire pomegranate in water and cut off the crown end with a sharp knife. Cut the pomegranate into sections -- don't worry if you cut some of the red pulp -- and start peeling the arils and seeds out. Do all of this under water so the red juice doesn't spray you. They may come out in groups attached to a chunk of yellow tissue; pull them out of the tissue by gently pressing against the side of an aril with your thumb. Rinse off the arils.

What to Eat

After you've peeled the pomegranate, you can eat the entire seed and aril. The seeds can sometimes be rather big with not much of a surrounding aril, but other times the pulp is thick and juicy. If you have the patience, you can spit out the seed, but this is an extra step you don't have to take. Eat the arils and seeds by themselves or add them to salads, chicken dishes and desserts. Try them as a cereal or granola topping, too. The opportunities are limited only by what taste combinations you might like.

Variations

The juicy aril serves as the basis for several pomegranate products including juice, jelly and a syrup more commonly called pomegranate molasses. The aril and seed are also dried to form anardana, which is used as a spice in South Asian cuisine, particularly North Indian cooking.

Cautions

Other parts of the pomegranate, such as the rind, are used in traditional medicine in Asia. Don't eat these without a doctor's okay. The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that while drinking the juice is usually okay for most people, those who have diarrhea should avoid pomegranate juice, and those with diabetes should check with a doctor before drinking the juice.

Consideration

If you're about to eat a pomegranate that you've picked fresh from the plant, make sure it's actually an edible variety. Pomegranates come in not only the larger size you see in grocery stores, but also in small, inedible ornamental varieties.