45 Pomegranate Recipes and Complete Produce Guide

A pomegranate is a round fruit roughly the size of a navel orange with leathery, dark-red skin. Inside, white membranes divide the fruit into chambers filled with hundreds of juicy arils — the sweet-tart seeds that are eaten. Pomegranates are from a shrub in the Lythraceae family and are commonly harvested in North America from October through January.

Pomegranate is pronounced “pa-muh-gran-it.”

Pomegranate arils are crunchy and very juicy, offering a bright tart-and-sweet flavor. They can often be used where citrus is called for, adding a milder, fruitier acidity.

Choose pomegranates that feel heavy for their size and have unbroken skin without soft spots or discoloration. Uncut fruit can sit on the counter for a few days or be refrigerated for 2–3 weeks. Once the arils are removed, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about five days or freeze them for up to three months for longer storage.

Arils can be scooped and eaten fresh, added to salads, desserts, salsas, or stirred into stews. The most challenging part is removing the arils without staining hands and clothes. There are simple, low-mess techniques for cutting and deseeding a pomegranate — search for a how-to guide on deseeding to learn a fast, clean method. Arils are also used to make juice, molasses, and syrups.

Pomegranates provide fiber, vitamin C, potassium, folate, and other minerals. They are rich in antioxidants and can support digestive health. A half-cup of pomegranate arils contains roughly 72 calories, about 16 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber. If you follow a low-carb diet or have diabetes, consult your healthcare provider to see if pomegranates fit your plan.

Pomegranates are usually grown as small trees reaching 12–20 feet tall; smaller, dwarf varieties can be grown in large containers. They need plenty of sun — at least six hours daily — and well-drained soil. Plant the tree so the root ball sits at the same depth as in its nursery pot and give it space to spread. For more detailed growing advice, look for regional guides on growing pomegranates.