FOOD NEWS
Here's Padma Lakshmi's Favorite Pomegranate Hack
By Ashley Reut
Pomegranates are versatile for cooking and make a colorful addition to your fall and winter decor as a garnish or table topper. However, the only thing that might hold you back from cutting into one is the fear of dyeing your hands — and potentially your clothes — bright red, or leaving a suspicious red splatter all over the kitchen.
Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi recently shared a mess-free pomegranate hack where you first take the tip of your knife, gently cut a square around the top of the pomegranate, and remove it. Then, score lines from the top of the opening down to the bottom, as if you were going to cut slices and peel them back, revealing a wedge of fruit full of bright red arils.
You're then free to easily pluck the arils from the skin and gather them in a bowl so you can garnish a meal or toss a handful in your cocktail later. However, before you use Lakshmi’s uber-cool hack, make sure you pick a ripe, red, and plump pomegranate with smooth, wrinkle-free skin — while riper fruits are juicier and attached looser to the pith, less ripe pomegranates hold the seeds tighter.