Can pomegranate seeds be frozen?

You may have mixed feelings about another long, cold fall and winter, but in the US it means one very special thing: pomegranate season.

Pomegranates are available almost everywhere in the United States from September through New Year’s, and they bring a special sweetness to our lives that is sorely missed come February.

So what can we do to prolong the pomegranate season?

Can pomegranate seeds be frozen?

Yes, pomegranate kernels can be frozen, and they do freeze quite well if you take the time to freeze them properly. First, you have to open the pomegranate and freeze the arils (the flesh-covered seeds of the pomegranate) individually.

If you want to enjoy these juicy-tasting little red gems all year long, this article will guide you through all the steps, from properly preparing the seeds for freezing to thawing them for use any time of the year.

Can pomegranate seeds be frozen and how?

Once rinsed and dried, to freeze the pomegranate seeds you must line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread them in a single layer, without touching each other.

You should freeze each aril separately to prevent them from clumping together into one big ball. This should take 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Once they are completely frozen, you can gather them all together and place them in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or Tupperware container (something like this from Amazon is perfect). Try to keep as much air out of your chosen container as possible to prevent ice crystals from forming on or around the seeds.

If you keep reading, we go into detail on how to properly cut a pomegranate to remove all the seeds.

How long can pomegranate seeds be kept in the freezer?

Pomegranate seeds taste incredibly bright and juicy when perfectly fresh, and freezing them helps prolong this flavor, but it can’t work miracles.

The beans will start to lose their richness after about 6 months, so try to eat them before much longer.

Fresh and/or thawed from frozen pomegranate beans will keep in your fridge, tightly closed, for about a week.

Can you freeze a whole pomegranate?

Technically, you can freeze a whole grenade, yes. If you know a little about how the freezing process works, you’ll know that the secret to good freezing is protection from air and moisture.

You might think that a fruit with such a beautiful outer covering like a pomegranate would have natural protection against air and moisture and would therefore freeze perfectly. But it’s not like that.

There is a lot of natural air and moisture inside the pomegranate, which will seriously affect the quality of the seeds when they thaw.

If you plan to use the seeds for a smoothie or juice, the soft texture may not matter too much, but the hassle of trying to get the seeds out of the shell should be enough to discourage you from trying to freeze a whole pomegranate.

This is a fruit that you need to properly prepare before freezing.

Also, if you like pomegranate kernels (arils), but don’t want to bother freezing them, these freeze-dried ones you can get on Amazon are absolutely amazing.

How to thaw pomegranate seeds

Defrosting your frozen pomegranate beans is remarkably easy. Just take them out of the freezer, drop them in the container or bag, and let them come to room temperature on the counter.

The individual seeds are quite small, so they do not take long to thaw. Depending on how full the container is, it will probably take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour.  If you’re in a hurry, you can place the bowl in warm (not hot!) water to speed up the process.

If you plan on baking with your pomegranate or using it in a smoothie, you don’t have to wait for it to thaw, you can use it frozen. Frozen arils are also a delicious cool treat on a hot summer day.

Alternative Ways to Store Pomegranate Seeds

If you’ve bought a collection of pomegranates and leave them whole on the counter, they’ll last a week or so before you notice wrinkles starting to form and the fruit starting to soften.

On the other hand, in the refrigerator you can keep a whole fruit for about 3 weeks, depending on when it was picked.

Once you’ve removed the seeds from the pomegranate, the most important thing to protect them and extend their life is to seal them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

The ideal would be a glass container.  The seeds are always a bit wet, and this can increase the likelihood of harmful toxins from the plastic seeping into your fruit, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Once properly sealed, the pomegranate kernels will stay fresh in your fridge for approximately 1 week.

If you’re feeling a bit German, you can even make a rum jar out of your pomegranate arils, which basically means you coat them in sugar and soak them in rum for an interesting fermented preserve.

How to know if pomegranate seeds have gone bad

Spoiled pomegranate kernels are relatively obvious, as they begin to rot and give off a noticeable odor. When you cut a pomegranate, the arils should be plump and juicy.

If you find them soft or too slippery and slimy, the fruit is probably not at its best anymore.

The inside of the fruit should also have a nice, rich pink color.  If you see brown spots, it’s a bad sign that your pomegranate has started to rot.

While it’s heartbreaking to discover that a good pomegranate has gone bad, it’s nice to know that long before you put a rotten or fermented seed in your mouth.

How to cut the pomegranate

As delicious as pomegranates are, they can be very messy and frustrating if you don’t know how to cut them properly. However, once you know that, you can have your arils ready to eat or freeze in a matter of minutes.

To prepare your grenade, you will need a few supplies:

1. A large bowl to collect the pomegranate seeds
2. A small bowl to discard the outer casing and pulp
3. A small, sharp paring knife
4. a wooden spoon

Now, follow these simple steps:

1. Find the flower end of your pomegranate (top), opposite the end that was cut from the tree (bottom).
2. Use the knife to score a circle around the top, roughly where it starts to curve down.
3. Remove the top and discard it.
4. You should see the white flesh where you divide the segments of your fruit.
5. Use the knife to score along the length of the grenade (from the top to about 1 inch from the bottom) where you can see the target. This should correspond to slight bumps on your grenade and there are usually 4-6.
6. Once you’ve marked where each of the segments is, hold the grenade upside down so the open top is over your large bowl.
7. Start to separate the segments from each other, but don’t pull so hard that they come off completely. You want the entire outer shell to remain in one piece.
8. With the wooden spoon, tap the outside of each of the segments to release the arils (seeds) into the bowl.

Now all that remains is to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

If all of that sounds like too much effort, you might also consider investing in a grenade corer to remove most of the gouges and cuts. 

How to eat pomegranate seeds

Most people refer to the rich little bumps inside the pomegranate as the seeds, but they’re actually called “arils,” and each one has a seed inside, surrounded by the tasty, sweet pulp that’s so popular. we like.

Once you have extracted all the arils from your pomegranate, you can eat the result however you like. Many people eat the seed inside, and it is completely safe and even healthy to do so, but others spit out the hard seed as it can be a nuisance to their teeth.

Another seed that people do not enjoy eating raw is the chia seed. Do you want to know more about these little ones? Check out this article we’ve written .

You can just grab a spoon and eat them, but here are other ways to add pomegranate to your daily meals:

• On your cereal, hot or cold
• Added to your juices or smoothies
• Mixed with your salads for lunch
• Cooked with your favorite grains, such as a creamy risotto or spicy curry rice
• Sprinkled over your ice cream, cheesecake or other dessert of your choice

How to make pomegranate juice

If you have a juicer, making pomegranate juice is as easy as putting the arils in the juicing chamber of your machine and turning it on. Depending on the type and quality of juicer you have, it should separate all the seeds for you, leaving only the sweet juice.

If you don’t have a juicer, you can make juice quite easily.

Take out a mesh strainer and simply mash the pomegranate arils into the mesh with a fork or spoon. The flesh of the arils is soft and juicy enough that it doesn’t take much to crush to extract the juice, and the mesh should catch the seeds and any lingering white membranes.

benefits of pomegranate seeds

When you see the bright, rich colors of a beautiful pomegranate, you know there are loads of nutritional benefits packed into each juicy aril.

Bright colors are often a rich source of antioxidants, which are the key to keeping you free from almost all diseases, from the little c - the common cold - to the big C - cancer.  Pomegranates have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any fruit, even surpassing red wine and green tea.

Fruit is also a good source of vitamin C, another important support for your immune system and therefore for your overall health. You will also find vitamins E and K, as well as some essential minerals.

With all the nutrition you can get from pomegranates, you can ward off inflammation-related diseases like arthritis, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, and viruses. You can lower your blood pressure, improve your memory, increase your stamina and stamina, and even improve your sex life.

Pomegranate extract vs. juice

Many studies have been done on the pomegranate, in all its forms. Every study seems to find something slightly different, so at this point it’s hard to say whether you should choose extracts, juices, supplements, or the whole fruit.

Ultimately, pomegranates have incredible nutrition, and you are going to benefit from getting that nutrition into your body in one form or another.

Drinking pomegranate juice or eating pomegranate arils are undoubtedly the tastiest options.

Related questions

How do you know if a pomegranate is ripe?

Most of the pomegranates we see in the US are of the red variety, so look for large, bright red berries to give you the first hint that your choice is ripe and ready to enjoy. If you see a white, pink, or other variety of pomegranate, you can also tell it by its shape.

As the kernels develop, the fruit begins to become more square, flattening at the top and bottom and developing a somewhat hexagonal shape in which the segments become more pronounced. The fruit should also be quite heavy.

How much pomegranate juice should I drink a day?

If you are starting to introduce juices, fruits or vegetables into your diet, you should always start with small amounts to allow your digestive system to adjust to the new nutrition. As little as 5 ounces a day can have significant health benefits.

If you’re watching calories or sugar, keep in mind that most fruit juices are high in both, and pomegranate juice is no exception. Whenever possible, opt for 100% pure pomegranate juice to avoid added sugars and other undesirable additives.

Where are pomegranates grown?

Pomegranates are native to Iran and northern India, and have been cultivated for thousands of years throughout the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and South Asia.

In more recent times, farmers in drier states such as California and Arizona have also started growing this fruit.

Are pomegranate seeds good for dogs?

Pomegranates are a safe source of nutrition for your dogs if fed correctly and in moderate doses. It is best to remove the seeds from the outer skin and crush them before giving them to your pet.

The seeds themselves can pose a choking hazard to some dogs, so be careful how you offer them.

Also, just like humans, if a dog is given a large dose of high-fiber fruit when he’s not used to it, it can cause digestive problems.

Pomegranate vs. Blueberries: Which is better?

Both pomegranate and blueberries are very nutritious and delicious, so if you have a choice of both, it’s the best solution. However, there are distinguishing features between them that can make one more attractive than the other, depending on your health issues.

By weight, pomegranates have the most vitamin C, and they are also a great source of vitamin B9. This means that if your immune system and/or your red blood cells need a boost, pomegranates are your best bet.

However, if you’re taking blood pressure-lowering medication, pomegranates can lower your blood pressure too much, so keep that in mind. 

On the other hand, blueberries have more fiber than pomegranates, so they will be better for your digestive system.

They are also high in an antioxidant called quercetin, which is anti-inflammatory and is often used as a medicine to control blood sugar, kill cancer, and prevent heart disease.

Blueberries are also full of vitamin K , which helps blood clot. This is often very beneficial, but it can interact with medications for weight loss or blood clotting.