Pomegranate Peel Prep tips.

and a beautiful poem by Caitlin Johnstone. *New graphics about Pom & spike, and the prep tips. **Update on 4/7/24

Summary of this post: Ways pomegranate protects against spike. (substack.com)

Pomegranate juice and peel are potent for protecting us from a wide variety of microbes, while also supporting beneficial species of our gut and mouth microbiome. Pomegranate juice has been tested and found about as effective as tooth brushing for reducing cavity causing species in the mouth.

The peel has two parts - the inner pith (white) and the outer rind (red). The concentration of diuretic tannins is greater in the outer rind. So I only use that in tea or extracts while the inner pith is rich in beneficial pectin and seems lower in tannin concentration. House mice have agreed with me - eating a hole in the rind, and then eating away the entire interior leaving a dried out shell for me to find later.

I thought it was nice of the mouse to leave me three pomegranate.

Tannins have healing properties in moderation and are an irritant in excess, in addition to too much diuretic power is TOO much. It can deplete you of other electrolyte minerals and that can cause muscle cramps and pain until you get replenished with sodium and potassium and magnesium.

Pomegranate is typically available as juice or seasonally as whole fruit, and is becoming more available as fresh or frozen seeds (which are called arils). Separating the arils from the surrounding white membrane and tough peel can be time consuming, and may be easier submerged in a sink or bowl of water.

1. With a sharp knife make shallow cuts through the peel about ¼ inch in a circle around the blossom and then vertically make six or eight cuts from the circle to the other side so the peel can be removed at the top and then the fruit can be separated into wedges. Be aware that pomegranate juice may stain clothing or some types of countertops or plasticware and use of an apron, gloves, and a cutting board may be helpful.

2. Separate the arils from the surrounding membrane and peel. Remove any seeds that are spoiled - become moldy and dark, or squishy and no longer a bright ruby color. Arils that are pale in color yet firm are still fresh and usable. This step may be easier in a bowl or sink of water.  Any small pieces of white membrane and seeds that are spoiled tend to float to the top of the water and can be easily removed while the firm juicy seeds sink. 

3. Rinse and drain the arils. They can be used immediately or stored in a refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week. They can also be stored in a freezer for six months to a year.

If planning to use the inner membrane for soup, salad or other uses it is easiest to remove the outer red part with a vegetable peeler before sectioning the fruit and separating the seeds. 

Pomegranate Peel Prep & Tea basics.

Pomegranate Peel - Inner Pith

High fiber, milder tannin level than the rind, making it usable in food similarly to minced garlic. Add at the end of cooking to preserve nutrients. Antioxidant/preservative in breads or meats. Bitter accent raw in salads. I use about 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup raw, minced or powdered, per 2 quart batch of soup or 24 muffins.

Discard spoiled parts. Rinse in vitamin C water and use fresh, freeze, or dehydrate and powder. Can add to pectin content in a jam recipe.

*By rinse in vitamin C water I mean, add some powdered vitamin C to a small amount of water and soak or stir the pomegranate pith in it to prevent browning - oxidation. The antioxidants won’t work for health benefits if they are already oxidized. Or overheated in boiling soup. Baking seems to preserve the medical benefits and a short simmer is okay. About 20-30 minutes of gentle heat at the most. Canning jam led to too long of a heating period. Making jam to freeze preserved the benefits.

Pomegranate Outer Rind

Can air dry, use in tea or extracts. Some people use it powdered in capsules or other methods that I haven't tried. It is very high in tannin content making the dose needed fairly small before diuretic side effects are noticed.

I use 4-6 1/2-inch square pieces in a quart batch of tea along with 1/2 teaspoon sage, 6-8 1-inch square pieces of dried mango peel (milder, fruity, also anti-inflammatory), and a few small pieces of dandelion root. Many things can add to flavor and health benefits in a tea. The pomegranate peel alone is tangy but does not have much flavor.

I started mincing a piece of inner pith to make the tablespoon of minced peel in the image below.

I might add two tablespoons to a 2 quart batch of soup. I might mince a small piece, like in the foreground, for a single serving of salad.

Pomegranate Waldorf Salad, (yield about 10 cups, 10 servings)

• 7 cups peeled and chopped apple

• 1 cup finely chopped celery

• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts

• 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds, about one large pomegranate

• 1/2 cup minced inner white membrane of the pomegranate

• 3 six ounce tubs or one 20 ounce tub of vanilla yogurt - the walnuts absorb some of the moisture by the second day.

• This downloadable pdf includes more about prep and menu ideas - Pomegranate Benefits and Preparation, (pdf in my sync file).

• I have some older recipes on effectivecare.info/G13.Pomegranate and G10. Nrf2 Promoting Foods.

• I use dehydrated powdered pomegranate inner peel in one or two of the jam recipes in this long post - I just kept adding new batch trials to the same post: Citrus & Fig Marmalade Jam (Substack)

• I added the new Pomegranate information to the Covid19 page on jenniferdepew.com. It now has a 2020 section - with pomegranate/citrus/mango peel tea information, and a 2021 section and now a 2022 section - early treatment starts as early as you start.

Photo by Julian Hanslmaier on Unsplash

Beautiful poem: Planting Angel Eggs On A Dying World - by Caitlin Johnstone (substack.com)

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.