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Pomegranates are not a peel-and-eat fruit like a banana or peach or pear. In fact, there really is no "fruit" at all, since the only edible part of the pomegranate is its seeds, which look like bright red large popcorn kernels. The seeds are quite a bit of work to remove, make a red mess everywhere, and tend to be tart. As if that weren't enough, they're challenging to eat: like half-popped popcorn, they require delicate chewing, since one can't simply chomp down on them without the risk of some major tooth damage. Used sparingly, they're best sprinkled on salads and used as a base for a fruit salsa. They lend rich color to finished dishes, but it's hard to get excited about enjoying them in the same way that most people love eating more accessible seasonal fruit.
Pomegranate molasses, or sometimes called pomegranate concentrate, is a viscous, treacly syrup made from cooked-down pomegranate seeds that provides the intense fruit flavor without any of the labor. It has a beautiful, ruby-red color and a deliciously tart, faintly sweet flavor. It can be found in bottles for about $4 in Middle Eastern, Indian, and some Asian markets, but it's showing up with increasingly frequency in supermarkets, gourmet food stores, and other specialty markets. You can always find it at www.ethnicgrocer.com, among other online sources.
Pomegranate molasses is rapidly becoming a favorite ingredient, since it provides an instant flavor boost to everything. It makes a beautiful glaze for broiled fish or roasted chicken. It makes the perfect marinade, along with a little olive oil and rosemary, for lamb. I pour some into the blender along with some tofu and egg, and then bake that concoction. I use it on hamburgers, in salad dressings, in stir-frys, and on roasted potatoes. With a little maple syrup or brown sugar, it's also excellent on waffles and pancakes. It keeps almost indefinitely in the refrigerator, but I rarely bother; I go through bottles quickly, and it just sits on my shelf next to the olive oil.
Pomegranate juice has made a comeback in recent years, thanks mainly to its highly touted antioxidant properties. If you can only find the juice and not the molasses, make your own by heating the juice and a little sweetener to taste, and reducing it to about half its original volume. |
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