Understanding the pomegranate

You may have seen it at the grocery store and wondered what it contained. Or you may have seen a small, red seed on your salad and wondered what it was and what made it taste so tart yet sweet.

Well, I'm here to tell you that the pomegranate should not a be a secret anymore. The wonderful pomegranate is an amazing fruit, in the way that you seed it and the delicious crispness it adds to many dishes. I was introduced to this lovely fruit by my mom, who is a lover of the pomegranate and usually includes the seeds in our holiday salads. Pomegranate seeds are so beautiful and add a fantastic pockets of that deep red color.

Although it does take some time to de-seed a pomegranate, you should not fear that anymore with these simple instructions.

1. Start by picking out a nice, red pomegranate that is firm and without bruises.

2. Change into an old painting shirt or something that you don't mind getting staining. Pomegranate seeds are great, but they definitely can stain things and be a mess if you're not prepared.

3. Cut the pomegranate in half, then into quarters.

4. Fill a large bowl with cold water, preferably in the sink. Submerge a quarter of the fruit in the water and gently pick or force out the seeds under the water. The seeds will fall to the bottom of the bowl and everything else that you don't want of the pomegranate will float to the top. (If you find the seeds reminiscent of the hundreds of little fish babies stuck to the rock in Finding Nemo, just remember that they are fruit, not fish babies.)

5. Strain the seeds out of the water and enjoy eating alone or in a delicious salad.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy pomegranate seeds is in a spinach salad with grapefruit and avocado. Throw some raspberry vinaigrette on those greens, and you've got a tangy and tasty holiday salad!

Be afraid of the pomegranate no more!