Pomegranate is a fruit known from ancient times. In ancient China, it was a symbol of fertility, while in Greek mythology is an allegory of love and death. Due to its sweet and sour taste, pomegranate is used for both deserts and main dishes. Juicing pomegranate is also a very common way of consuming this fruit.
Pomegranate is well known for many prosperities beneficial for your health. In this article, you will find out the most useful information about storing pomegranates, the time of picking them up, and the nutritional value of this super healthy fruit.
This superfruit has anti inflammatory prosperities. It helps to fight bacteria and fungus infecting your body. Pomegranate is also known to help in fighting such severe diseases as prostate and breast cancers. When consuming regularly, it is an excellent aid with high blood pressure problems, heart diseases, joint pain, and arthritis. By drinking pomegranate juice or consuming its seeds daily, you can improve your memory.
1. How to store a pomegranate?
You can store a pomegranade in three ways: on the counter, in refrigerator or you in the freezer. The colder is the temperature the longer it will last. However you need to keep in mind that the fresher it is the highest probability that it keeps its helthy substances and aroma.
Let’s take a closer look at each of three storing options:
- Counter
Storing the whole pomegranate fruit is similar to apple holding conditions. The best way to store the whole pomegranate fruit is to keep it on the counter or in the pantry, at room temperature in a slightly sunny place, but not in direct sun. In those conditions, pomegranate will keep its flavor and aroma for about two weeks.
Of course, that time depends on how mature your pomegranate is. What matters is if it is directly picked up from the tree or bought in a supermarket. That is why pomegranate’s shelf life oscillates between one and two weeks.
The place where we store pomegranates should be moderately moist because the fruit will dry out at low humidity and go bad if the humidity is too high.
- Refrigerator
You can also keep pomegranates in the refrigerator for up to two months, but pomegranates will slightly lose their intense flavor. If you have already opened your pomegranate and you didn’t manage to eat it whole at once, you can store its seeds in the fridge for five days. The same goes for pomegranate juice, which will last in your fridge for up to five days.
Pomegranate seeds and juice can be kept in the fridge for five days.
- Freezer
Have you ever wondered if freezing the whole pomegranate is possible, or can you freeze pomegranate seeds? We can assure you that in both cases, the answer is yes! In the freezer, pomegranate can be kept for a whole year or even more. That is an excellent idea because pomegranates are not available the entire year long. Frozen pomegranate seeds can be added to the deserts or juiced after thawing.
It is possible to freeze the whole pomegranate fruit in a freezer, but it will take quite a lot of valuable space in your freezer. That is why it is better to prepare your fruit before freezing it, by separating its seeds and getting rid of the unwanted skin. In that case, it will be ready to use directly after taking it out of the freezer. You will also save time you would spend on ripping the skin off the pomegranate after defrosting it.
2. How to freeze pomegranate seeds ?
- Start by cutting the pomegranate carefully in half.
- Stretch the pomegranates’ skin gently and face it down above the bowl.
- Use the wooden mallet or spoon to pound the fruits’ skin to place all the seeds in the bowl. The process can be easier if you have a pomegranate deseeder. We recommend Ibili Pomegranate Deseeder.
Tip : You can also try to separate seeds from the skin in a bowl filled with water if you don’t want to use a mallet or spoon. Just place the part of the pomegranate under the water and push its seeds out using your hands. Then drain the water, placing seeds in a strainer. Dry your seeds using a paper towel, and they will be ready for freezing.
4. Put seeds into a freezer bag, remove the air from it, lay it down and flatten it out
5. Close the bag and put it into the freezer.
Tip : Keep in mind that pomegranate juice creates stains on clothes, which are very difficult to remove. It is better to put on the kitchen apron while separating its seeds from the skin.
2.1 Frozen pomegranate juice
You can also keep freshly squeezed pomegranate juice in the freezer.
Pour the juice into the ice cubes and freeze it. When they are frozen, place them in a tight freezing bag. Frozen pomegranate juice can last in the freezer for up to one year. Until that time, it will keep its quality.
If you do not have a perfect pomegranate juicer, you can find our top recommended product listed in Amazon here – Zulay Professional Citrus Juicer
3. When are pomegranates in season?
Pomegranates are one of these fruits which come in a particular season. They grow from August to December, but the best time for picking them is Callendar autumn – October and November. They are cultivated in the Meditaanian Sea region, in the Middle East, and South Asia. In America, pomegranates grow mainly in California and Arizona.
Pomegranates grow from August to December.
Let’s say a few words about picking the right fruit in the grocery shop. When buying the pomegranate, you should choose the dark red fruit, which has an intense color and hard skin. When the rind is soft and brownish, the fruit can be rotten inside.
Pay also attention to any severe scratches and big dark spots, which can encourage oxidation and mold. The bigger and heavier the fruit is, the more juice it has. When the pomegranate is ready to eat, it gives a particular sound when knocked. The unripe fruit does not sound at all.
4. Juicing a pomegranate
There are a few ways to make homemade pomegranate juice from the fresh fruit. It all depends on the kitchen devices you have in your kitchen. You can do it manually, with the blender or with the juicer.
- making juice with a blender
Blend the seeds in a blender and pour the juice through the strainer to eliminate the pulp and seeds.
If you are wondering what to do with all that pulp left, we invite you to check out this article:
- making juice with a hand juicer
Cut your pomegranate in halves, place it in the hand juicer and squeeze the juice directly into the glass.
- making juice with a masticating juicer
To make a juice in masticating juicer, you still need to use pomegranate seeds only. After separating them you can place them in a juicer. It will eliminate the whole pulp for you.
Enjoy pomegranate juicing!
Liked the article? Share it!
Recent Comments