Jonathan King and Jim Stott Photography by Jim Stott

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It may be time consuming and a bit messy to peel and eat a pomegranate, but you really should try it, as there is nothing quite like it.

A ripe, luscious red pomegranate is not only beautiful—it is also extraordinarily delicious. The seeds inside are peeled away from the skin and either eaten as they are or squeezed for their sweet, bright, refreshing juice. It may seem an exotic fruit for you, but if you try some recipes using the seeds or the juice, you’ll become a fan. Look for fresh pomegranates in the market any time between September and January. You can freeze the seeds in plastic bags for year-round use, but luckily we can find pomegranate juice anytime in almost any part of the country.

Originating in Persia, the word “pomegranate” means “seedy apple.” Opening up this ruby red fruit, you will find hundreds of seeds enveloped in membranes that are not edible. The leathery skin pulls back easily, and the seeds can be popped out for a nutritious snack. Pomegranates are high in fiber and vitamin C.

The Greek goddess of love, Venus, was said to have given pomegranates as gifts, and they then became a symbol of fertility. Until the Renaissance, pomegranates were used mainly for medicinal purposes. Spanish padres brought the fruit to California and grew them in more than two hundred missions in the temperate climate. Grenada, a small island off the coast of South America, was a major producer of pomegranates years ago. Something you may be more familiar with, the cocktail sweetener grenadine was developed from this connection. Today, central California produces most of the pomegranates marketed in the United States. They love the dry air of this region, can tolerate droughts and flourish on shrubs that are about fifteen feet tall.

Pomegranates have become so popular in the last decade that Starbucks actually introduced a Pomegranate Frappuccino earlier this year. We developed a Peach Pomegranate Jam last year and pomegranate juice, sorbet, grill sauces and teas are all the rage everywhere we travel. A pomegranate martini is one of the most requested drinks in martini bars in the East, and no wonder—they taste fantastic and look amazing (a great holiday cocktail!).

Lots of recipes call for the fruit pieces, the tiny glistening red seeds. Used on top of salads, they not only look beautiful, they add great flavor. Mixed with orange segments and served with chilled green beans and a little vinaigrette, they are incredible. However, using the juice seems to be a lot easier. You can buy bottles of fresh juice in your market, but if you want to make it yourself, here are a couple of easy ways to do that. Heat a pomegranate in the microwave for thirty seconds on high. Roll the fruit on the counter a few times to break up the inside. Cut a small hole in the bottom of the pomegranate and stand it into a glass container so that the juice starts to drip out. Squeeze the fruit a few times during the process. You can also simply put the seeds into a sieve and set the sieve in a bowl. Gently crush the seeds and the juice will drip into the bowl.

One caution when eating or cooking with pomegranates—the juice does stain permanently, so be careful.

We hope you will take a chance on some of these recipes, because they really are fantastic. Enjoy the pomegranate now as they are harder to find as the winter goes on. You’ll become a fan like we are and start looking for more before you know it!

Pomegranate Recipes from Stonewall Kitchen

Holiday Pomegranate Salad

Chicken with Pomegranate and Walnuts

Pomegranate Martini

Jonathan King and Jim Stott are co-owners of Stonewall Kitchen, an award-winning, nationally recognized specialty food manufacturing company headquartered in York, Maine. Natives of New England, both Jonathan and Jim are avid gardeners and cooks who have been featured on numerous television cooking shows. They are authors of the Stonewall Kitchen Cookbook and co-authors with Kathy Gunst of Stonewall Kitchen Harvest: Celebrating the Bounty of the Seasons.