How to Eat a Pomegranate For the Holidays

I was grocery shopping the other day and as usual, there are always people that seem to pick me out of a crowd to ask me a question because they think I work there.  A very nice fit girl asked me if I knew anything about a pomegranate.  Well she asked the right person as pomegranates are one of my favorite fruits.

Pomegranates are a Persian native and one of the oldest fruits known to man.  According to some, pomegranates date back to 100 B.C. and it's been said that pomegranates were brought to the manger in Bethlehem as a gift to the baby Jesus. According to Globalhealingcenter.com, "Persians believe Eve actually ate a pomegranate she plucked from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, not an apple. Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with pomegranates because they believed it offered eternal life."

Pomegranates are considered a "super-food," full of vitamin B, potassium and folic acid.  Eating pomegranates may protect you from cancer and fight cardiovascular disease.

The popularity is growing in the United States but it's surprising the number of people in the Southern Tier have never tried a "real" pomegranate outside of the artificial pom flavor that appears in ice cream, cookies and assorted beverages.  Now what do I mean by a "real" pomegranate?  I'm talking the fruit that appears in the grocery store between Thanksgiving and New Year's, the deep red round fruit that is loaded with over 100 seeds.

It's the seeds that you eat.  But how the heck do you get the seeds out?  Some will tell you to use a bowl of water.  This will work but can be messy.  Here is my favorite way to eat a pomegranate:

It may take a few minutes to enjoy this ancient super-food, but when you do, it will be well worth it.  Let me know if this helps.  Enjoy.