Over the past few years, I’ve become a big fan of pomegranates. The quirky red orbs signal the start of fall, cooler weather, and more reasons to craft festive cocktails using their vividly-colored juice.

Native to Iran and northern India, pomegranates feature prominently in Mediterranean cuisine, including pomegranate molasses. If you see a bottle of this on your market shelves, pick it up and give it a try in salad dressings, glazes, or even iced teas.

Getting to the Goods

Of course, extracting that juice can make your kitchen look like an active crime scene, and DO NOT be wearing white when you start the process! I’ve discovered the easiest way is to cut the poms in half and just use a regular citrus juicer. You will have to empty the pulp strainer more than usual, but if you keep your hands cupped over the pom halves, it will reduce the juice spatter.

Getting to the seeds has always been a struggle. Until this year. I actually saw a demonstration on the interwebs that actually worked! Using a sharp knife, score the top of the pom along the “ribs”. You’ll have a small pentagon shape that you can easily pull off. The, score the sides of the pom along those same ribs. You’ll be able to peel away the five sides of the fruit and get to the seeds with nary a drop of juice spilled!

I have found that fresher pomegranates are easier to cut, by the way. When they’ve been sitting out a bit (though they are festive table decorations), they dry out and you can run the risk of your knife slipping.

Seeds and Juice

I must confess I probably don’t use the pomegranate seeds as much as I should. I like them in yoghurt, sometimes in salads, and plopped into a glass of bubbly. The juice, however, gets tipped into various tipples such as margaritas, gin drinks, and Cosmopolitan-looking vodka concoctions. It’s not a sweet juice, actually a bit tart, so you may want to add something like orange liqueur to the beverage. Also, the pom juice doesn’t have an overpowering flavor on its own, so it’s a great way to add a vibrant splash of color.

Of course, pomegranate juice is good on its own too, but recall that it’s not a sweet juice. Some bottled brands will add sugar, so read your labels carefully. You’d be better off putting a splash into some freshly squeezed orange juice than sipping on a sugar bomb.

Eating Your Colors

As you might guess, colorful pomegranates have a myriad of purported health benefits. Among them are: improved heart function, lowered cancer risk, and better management of diabetes and blood sugar. They’re also a good fiber source, which has its own range of benefits.

Though the WebMD website notes that you lose the Vitamin C after juicing, “they retain nearly all of their potassium, (which) is an important mineral that helps your nerves and heart stay strong.”

Pomegranates can be a little pricey depending on where you source them, sometimes as much as five dollars each. Check your local farmers markets, or – if you’re in a hospitable climate – see if any of your neighbors have a tree. It’s a fairly prolific fruit, so you might be doing them a favor by taking a few off their hands!