The market on Saturday had stalls piled high with pomegranates, telling me that they are now in season. It’s always a good idea to use fruits and veggies in season as the nutrients are at their peak.

However, as pomegranate is a fruit I’m not too familiar with, I searched online to find out how to deal with them. If you know all about them then you might want to jump ahead to the recipe at the bottom of the page (which is from Tracy Russell at IncredibleSmoothies.) And if you are like me and don’t know what to do with them then read on to find out how to select, store and eat them.

How to Select and Store Pomegranates

You’ll find fresh pomegranates typically from September through February in the northern hemisphere and March through May in the southern. A ripe pomegranate should be red-skinned and feel heavy for its size. You can keep them in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks and you can freeze the arils.

Ok, that’s how to select and store them, but how do you get into them and how do you eat them?

But how do you get into them?

Tracy suggests …

To remove the seeds and juice pods (arils) in pomegranates, cut the pomegranate into quarters. While holding the corners, press your thumb into the center of the rind. This will cause the arils to loosen up and you will be able to remove them easily. It is perfectly okay if you get some of the pith (white part) in your smoothie, too.

And how do you eat them?

You can eat the whole seeds. Although most smoothie recipes I saw suggested using juice.

Tracy prefers to make her own juice and says …

To juice the pomegranate, simply empty the seeds in a strainer and smash them with a spoon. Make sure you place a metal bowl under the strainer. Pomegranate juice stains, so be careful!

Much of the nutrition, especially the healthy fat and fiber, are contained in the arils (the juicy pods that include the seeds) so it is good to use the whole fruit if possible. Unfortunately, pomegranate seeds can be a challenge to puree even in a high-end blender. You might still get a little seed grit if you blend it slightly longer, but it’s not bad.

Recipe: Pomegranate Mango Coconut Smoothie

Serves 32 ounces

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Pomegranate arils
1 Mango, peeled and pitted
1 scoop chocolate-flavored protein powder*, or use 1 scoop plain protein powder + 1 tsp. cacao powder.
2 cups fresh baby Spinach
1/2 cup unsweetened Coconut Milk