Peeling a Pommie
32Sunday 23 November, 2014 by Uncle Spike
Another question I am often asked, is how the chuff does one peel a pommie (that is, pomegranate to normal folk). Well, there are various ways, but for our large, sweet poms, this is what we generally do…
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Step one
Pick a ripe one. Usually they will start to become scored on the outer husk, or even split open on the tree. The more split, the riper it is, and the sweeter the seeds.
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Step two
Using a sharp but small bladed knife, slowly and gently cut around the flat top of the fruit, taking care not to cut into the flesh too much. After a while you will ‘feel’ the top start to loosen.
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Step three
Remove the top and you will note that the fruit is actually segmented. Using the tip of the knife, score down the line of each segment divider, top to bottom.
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Continue until all segments are done.
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Step four
Gently prise each segment away from the rest, pulling from the top. Don’t do the whole thing in one hit, but attend to each segment little by little, maybe twice round until the whole fruit has opened up.
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Step five
Remove the central core. Once the segments are opened like that, it’s really easy to take out and the seeds remain in place.
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Step six
Then remove a segment, and using your thumb the seeds can be popped away from the inner husk quite easily. Pushing from the side in a downward manner can remove 20-30 seeds in one go on ripened fruit.
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Step seven
When the entire fruit is done, fill the seed bowl with water. Any creepy crawlies will swim for starters, but also, any remaining pith, husk, skin will usually float too, and can be skimmed off with your hands.
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Step eight
Rinse and drain the seeds.
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Step nine
Pour into a bowl and chomp the bloody lot!
They will keep fresh like that in a fridge for up to a week, but to be honest, ours never last that long. Usually I will ‘do’ 5 or 6 fruit in one go – it’s quite therapeutic work 🙂
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Ok I am lame You eat the seeds, I bet that would go good on a salad. When I buy them in the store what is the best way to ripen them on my counter?
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They should be ripe already, a deep red colour for commercial ones I suspect.
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The messy look of a pomegranate always puts me off eating one!
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I’ve always wondered how to open ’em up. Keep forgetting to look for a how-to. Now, thanks to your post, I won’t be afraid to buy one now! Thanks!
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Cool – let us know if it works then 😀
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Requires some technique. I make quite a mess when I do that myself, so thank you for sharing your tips!
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I went to Kas in late October and our captain showed me how to peel a pomegranate for the first time! Its a really nice fruit! We would prep about one at a time but by the time we returned to the surface after a dive it was all gone! 😀 It was very popular among all the crew! I’d never actually had a fresh pommie before this trip!
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Until now, I had never seen a full pomegranate (have seen cut or juice). Great post.
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I guess I was the same until I came here. Good to know you liked it; now all you have to do is get a bag of them send from friends in California 🙂
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The ones we buy in the shops here aren’t starting to split the way you describe. Will they continue to ripen and split if I leave them out of the fridge?
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Maybe if left on the windowsill in the sun perhaps. But they will have been picked very early probably, whereas these are sun-ripened, and may even split due to excess moisture in them, after 4 or 5 big storms here.
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Now have one sitting on the window sill 😊
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According to Nigella, cut your pommie in half, hold it cut side down over a bowl and hit it with a wooden spoon and all the seeds will drop out. Repeat process with other half. Tried it and that works too. Your way, however, looks a bit more civilised..
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Now I know how!!
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These are the best instructions I have come across. I’m looking forward to a lot less mess from now on! There’s one in the fridge calling me right now!
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Enjoy…! If they are white fruit (white to dusty pink seeds), this method may still take time, as they are firmer and ‘hold’ the seeds more.
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We never see white around here, I learned something new again. The method worked great on the red one I had! My kids thank you! 😉
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Good to know next time I have one! 👍
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yum
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I really like pomegranate and found a tutorial video recently similar to your step by step but without the clever water step. As a kid I remember eating them in the school cloakroom with a pin; one seed at a time. Had a fantastic salad that included them last weekend too.
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Think I’ve seen the video; also Turkish 🙂
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Ah you see. Obviously a very specific skill
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It’s time to go to the grocery store. Yum! These do look delicious.
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Now where is that pomegranate tree?? 🙂
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Just in our garden… we picked 100kg from 8 trees at least. Yum.
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So I was actually attempting to be funny because the chance of finding a pomegranate tree in my backyard is 0% so I loved the instructions on how to open one but as far as how to pick one and know if it’s ready….well not so much. 🙂
BTW I enjoyed your comments on Andrew’s post on statistics.
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Too much sun on my brain, lol
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These are problems I dream of. 🙂
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I love pommies! Of course, I have never in my life had a pommie that was ripe enough to split, still I always buy them and enjoy them. They aren’t in our stores long, but like a carmel apple it’s great when they are there!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/?s=The+Adventures+of+Fuzzy+and+Boomer&submit=Search
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
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Leave them on the windowsill to ripen further…
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This is one of the best and healthiest fruit – this is powerful and has played important factor in my health!
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Certainly is!
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