Pomegranates

[BigMac]

OK, so my neighbor who just moved has a tree right next to the street with about 40 ripe, large, sweet pomegranates. Rather than let them go to waste, I thought I would purloin them and do something with them.

The question is... what? Pomegranate juice is wickedly expensive in the market, so it must be useful, right? How does one juice a pomegranate? What else is it good for? Does the juice freeze well? Ideas, please!

[awbrig]

Juicing, slicing, eating!

you forgot about staining everything in sight!

[tommy]

margaritas.

[cakewalk]

Last Wednesday's NY Times had an article on pomegranates, and I'm pretty sure it included recipes. You can probably find it on their website.

[BigMac]

Last Wednesday's NY Times had an article on pomegranates, and I'm pretty sure it included recipes. You can probably find it on their website.

Here is that link. No Recipes, however.

[Suzanne F]

After you liberate the arils (that was the first time I've ever seen that word anywhere but a crossword puzzle!), crush them to extract the juice, strain out any hard bits, and freeze the juice. Maybe by the time you've done that, we'll have some idea what you can do with it.

Or try freezing the seeds still with the juice around them. That just might work.

[BigMac]

I found out that the "underwater" method of getting the arils out works great - I did three poms in about ten minutes. ("underwater" method: in a pot of water, break apart poms that have been scored 6 or so times. Arils sink, pith floats, any juice just goes in the water, not on your white clothes).

One method I read for getting the juice out is to simmer them for ten minutes (until soft) and then squish in a cheesecloth wearing rubber gloves. I have no cheesecloth handy, so can't try that right now. I used a garlic press for some arils, and got great, but time consuming results. Any other suggestions on how to press out the juice?

Found some recipes here and here.

[aliwaks]

pomengranate sorbet would be delicous and decadent lucky you to have proximiy to so many.

Maybe marinate lamb with the juice with some middle eastern spices like harissa and mint? I'm sure Claudia Roden will have some recipes also try the chez panisse fruit cookbook..Alice Waters is always a good source for what to do with exotic fruits that are difficult to work with and expensive unless you are lucky enough to live in northern CA (sorry having a bout of west coast produce envy)

[High Priestess]

Here in L.A. there is a store called the Jordan Market, a small boutique in a Persian neighborhood.

Once a year, (now, as a matter of fact) they have huge bins of pomegranate seeds, the whole store is gorgeous with them.

Bright magenta flats of seeds among other flats of almonds, dried apricots, spices, etc.

So... I would freeze your seeds whole, then take some time finding great Persian cuisine recipes.

Joyce Goldstein has a couple in her "Back to Square One" cookbook.

They are:

Duck with a persian sauce of walnuts and pomegranate

Quail with orange, marsala, and pomegranate

Roast pork loin with orange and pomegranate

priestess

[Jonathan Day]

I make pomegranate ice cream and sorbet in the fall.

Easiest way I have found to extract the juice is to put the arils in a large, heavy "zip lock" plastic bag. Roll over the bag with a rolling pin to crush the seeds. Turn the bag once or twice so that every side of the arils will be crushed. Strain the juice.

[APPS411]

I like to add a little bit of the juice to whip cream and serve it atop warm caramel apple tarts. The juice can be quite tart so be sure to add a touch more conf. sugar when making the whip cream.

[BigMac]

Thanks for the ideas!

I think the things I am going to make are pomegranate syrup and sorbet.

I was thinking of using a ziploc and rolling pin - that is what I will try.