Day 1 of 12: The Pomegranate Exposed

When it comes to the holidays two fruits tend to hog the spotlight: the cranberry and the pumpkin. It's true, no Thanksgiving meal (and in some cases Christmas or holiday dinner) is complete without mom's cranberry sauce or a little pumpkin pie. But, as we get deeper into the spirit of the season, there's another majestic fruit we want you to consider: the pomegranate.

While Margaret used to beg her mom to buy one at the store when she was younger, I'd always avoided this kooky looking creature. It looked kinda like a rustic, oversized grenade after all. I had no idea how to eat it or what it might taste like. That is, until a friend of mine formally introduced us some 12 years ago in college. Since then, the pomegranate works its way into my basket every December.

You'd never know that inside this slightly misshapen, leathery exterior hides a beautiful, bountiful collection of red jewels or seed casings called arils. You eat these small bead-like beauties raw and in their entirety (no spitting out the seeds, grape-style). Depending on the pomegranate's ripeness, the juice encased in the aril can be tangy or sweet, but either way, these seeds make a great snack. The arils provide a healthy dose of Vitamin C, Vitamin B and are packed with more antioxidants than you'd find in red wine or green tea. Yep, this snack's great to have around when you're in trying to make it through winter without the flu.

In the coming days you'll be getting a glimpse of the pomegranate in a number of recipes--dressed up and dressed down--but to start things off we thought we'd keep it simple. The pomegranate is delicious all by itself, so don't be hesitant to pick up one the next time you're strolling the produce aisle.

How to eat a pomegranate:

Slice the pomegranate in half or in sections.



Inside you'll discover the edible seeds known as arils. You'll see they're attached to a white membrane.



If you've got a little OCD or enjoy picking apart things, you can simply pluck out each and every aril, but this could take a good 5-10 minutes.



Another way is to pull apart the sections in a bowl of water.



The membrane will float to the top and the seeds will sink to the bottom. This doesn't happen by itself though. You'll still need to work out some of the seeds.



Look at these! Now, grab yourself a bowl and get snackin'!



Be forewarned, however, these beautiful jewels STAIN, so let your kids help with something else in the kitchen and whatever you do don't wear your favorite white outfit!