Pomegranates do not produce many fruits until approximately 5-to-6 years after the initial planting if by seed. If you purchase a healthy and strong tree from the nursery, you may get fruit the same year it is planted, depending on its age at time of planting. Earlier fruit (in the first 3 to 4 years) may not be as large as fruit that grows when the tree is older and it may not ripen sufficiently to be consumed. Once the tree is established, the good news is that it can live up to 200 years.
Unripe pomegranates are round, like apples. However, their shape changes slightly as the fruit ripens and the juice-filled seeds begin to expand outward and press against the insides of the pomegranates. A ripe pomegranate will have more of a square shape because the sides will be flattened (instead of rounded). The rind should be soft enough to scratch. If so, you know you have a ripe pomegranate. Unripe pomegranates have very hard rinds that cannot be scratched. Should the fruit begin to split open, it’s ripe and ready to be consumed. It usually happens at the beginning to mid Fall. Some will wait until the fruit just begins to split before pulling it off the tree, finding that recently split fruit proves to have the sweetest and juiciest content. Don’t wait too long, though. Once opened, bugs and birds will love it, too.
Pomegranates can be used in many ways, including syrups, juice, fruit salad, vinegar, coffee, cocktails, salad dressings, and more. While choosing the right pomegranate and removing the seeds takes a little more work than doing so for other fruits, it’s worth the effort. The rinds vary in shades of red, from bright to more brownish or even pink. The rind should also be glossy. While the shade of the rind doesn’t signify anything about ripeness or flavor, the deeper the color, the better. To be sure your pomegranates aren’t bruised, hold each pomegranate and gently squeeze it. The pomegranates should be hard, with no mushy spots.
Before de-seeding your pomegranate, you may want to grab an apron or change into an old shirt that you don’t mind getting stained. The juice from pomegranates will stain your clothes. The rind of pomegranates are hard, and you can’t really peel a pomegranate because the seeds are nested into and attached to the internal membrane. To get to the edible part of the pomegranate, you’ll need to cut into and through the rind. Cutting the pomegranate into quarters rather than halves will give you better access to the seeds.
Place your quartered pomegranate in the water-filled bowl. Removing the seeds of the pomegranate in water is the easiest way to de-seed your fruit because the seeds are heavier than the membrane that surrounds the seeds. Thus, the seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl, and the membrane will rise to the surface.
Alternately, you can remove the seeds over the bowl and let the flesh and seeds drop into the bowl (rather than submerging the pomegranate in the water). This way, you can immediately dispose of the rind when you have removed all the seeds. Removing the seeds underwater, however, lessens the risk that you may drop part of the pomegranate onto your counter top and stain it. While submerged in the water, hold the pomegranate quarter with one hand, and run the thumb of your other hand around the clumps of seeds. Once you have removed all the seeds, you can skim off the membrane from the top of the water with your hands or a small strainer. Remove the seeds from the bottom of the bowl in the same manner. Enjoy eating the plump seeds or prepare for storage.
Refrigerating your whole pomegranate rather than leaving it on your counter or in your fruit basket will help keep it fresher longer. Put it in a plastic bag and close it so it’s airtight (the ones in grocery stores for fruit and veggies work well), then put it in the refrigerator and it will last for up to 3 months. If you store your pomegranate in a dry, cool place, it will last for about a month this way and for a week at room temperature.
As pomegranate seeds, place in the refrigerator for five days but seal them tightly in a container or plastic bag. Avoid any overripe seeds, brown or squishy, as they could cause the just-right seeds to spoil.
You can prolong the seeds freshness by storing them in the freezer. Be sure the seeds are completely dry before freezing them (or they will clump together). You can also flash freeze the seeds before freezing them in a storage bag. After drying any remaining water off the seeds, place them in a single layer on a wax- paper lined baking sheet. Freeze them on the baking sheet for two hours before storing them in a freezer bag. Pomegranate seeds can be stored in the freezer for a year.
You can germinate fresh pomegranate seeds, but it will take much longer of you don’t separate them from the juice and rinse them well. Just lay the pomegranate pieces between two paper towels, and go over them with a rolling pin. Then, place the seeds in a colander and rinse them well. The juice will be absorbed by the paper towels, leaving the actual seeds separated. Remove them from the paper towel and spread them on a tray in a single layer. Let the seeds sit until they are dry to the touch. Let the seeds dry out for a few days.
Place the seeds, loosely covered, in the refrigerator. Let them stay there for a few weeks. This helps speed up germination by simulating the time the seeds would have spent in cooler ground during the winter before sprouting the next spring. If you are starting your seeds during the winter, then you can skip this part of the process.
When you’re ready to germinate the pomegranate seeds, take them out and cover them with warm water in a dish. Leave them there overnight. You do not need to dry the seeds. They can be planted while they are still damp. If the plant is kept at room temperature, it should germinate in 30-40 days.
