CULINARY DIGRESSION #2

By Fir0002 (Own work) [GFDL 1.2], via Wikimedia Commons

POMEGRANATES are gorgeous. When you open one, the faceted seeds with their transparent flesh spill out like so many rubies and garnets. Bite one and a tiny explosion of flavour, tart and sweet at the same time, surprises your tastebuds. I have loved them since I was six, especially because they're a rarity, and expensive, as if they really are little caskets of jewels.
But they're messy to eat. The bloody juice spurts everywhere! A child is banished outside to the back step to enjoy one. This is not all bad, because it gives free rein to the desire to spit out the bitter pips. But in November and December when they are most common in the supermarkets of the Great White North, its also quite cold.
I was thrilled today to open a cookbook and discover a method for juicing pomegranates which is mess-free. Not to mention dead-easy!

It goes like this. Roll the intact pomegranate on the counter until it is flaccid. That's what they said! Then, once it has achieved full sogginess, pierce it with a sharp knife, gently, and suspend it over the mouth of a glass. A gentle squeeze is enough to let out the juice, in surprising amounts. No fuss, no mess, no pressing, no straining. And,like any freshly squeezed juice, it tastes SO good!