2. Shape Another tell-tale sign of ripeness is the shape of the fruit: A ripe pomegranate will be flatter at the stem and blossom ends, with sides that have a more squared appearance.

Alternatively, do a scratch test; when unripe, a pomegranate skin is tight and resists scratching but when ripe the skin softens and, with a little pressure, the peel can be scratched.

Pomegranates are officially in season. So it’s time to prepare these festive fruits for your holiday cooking.When you see pomegranates in stores, they should already be ripe and ready to eat ...

Feel for firmness: Ripe pomegranates become soft and less resistant to cracking, so look for less firm fruits. Avoid overripe pomegranates, which may have soft, dull-colored skin with brown spots.

Under the Skin Pomegranates typically contain about 600 edible seeds, surrounded by reddish pulpy kernels, called arils. "The arils are the fruit around the smaller white seed,” says Alex ...

Pomegranate chicken ($12.95), with mashed potatoes and the same broccoli, came drenched in a pomegranate-sweet sauce. Cooked in the wood-fired oven, the chicken had a nicely crisp skin.

Yet although there is anecdotal success of large pomegranate crops with minimum care of the trees that bear them, it is best to ensure a regular crop by soaking established trees two to three times a ...