In The Pom Of Your Hand
I have a pomegranate tree. I inherited it when we bought the house. The tree is enormous and produces a ridiculous number of pomegranates—most of which end up food for the birds and squirrels because my tree does not follow the rules.

Pomegranate season runs from the end of September through November. The fruit on my tree tends to be ripe by the end of August but you would not know because they never quite get to that gorgeous red color that we associate with a pomegranate, even though they are super sweet. So we have to keep an eye out to see when they start to split. At that point, we pick the fruit that is intact and leave the rest for the critters. Needless to say, we get a lot of fruit in a short period of time and have to figure out ways to use, store, or preserve it.

The obvious method is to sprinkle the seeds on salads which we do, with abandon. But, it’s not enough. Yes, you can freeze the seeds. They last up to 6 months in the freezer and are a fantastic addition to any smoothie you might make. But, like all frozen fruit, they can lose some of their integrity when thawed.

Making pomegranate molasses is a no-brainer, especially if you are a fan of Middle Eastern food. And, pomegranate molasses is great in other dishes as well including homemade vinaigrette.

One of my favorite uses for pomegranate is this Chicken with Spaghetti Squash and Pomegranate Seeds recipe that’s a great option for a weeknight dinner. Anyone looking for something different for Thanksgiving could easily double or triple just the squash for a great splash of color on the table.

Chicken with Spaghetti Squash and Pomegranate Recipe
Adapted from Epicurious
Yields servings

This easy sheet-pan dinner is bursting with bright, comforting flavors inspired by Persian cuisine. Read more…