What's new, pomegranate?

[Docshiva]

There's a new Israeli machine for gently removing pomegranate seeds. A friend in HI mentioned that he didn't think packaged pomegranate seeds were available in the US. I'm sure I've seen them, and there are sightings reported in the Chowhound NY board. Have they shown up in your local market? How's the quality, and how well/long do they keep? And what other fruits have you seen in the market this year or last year that you don't recall being available before? Discuss....

[toodie jane]

am reading a wonderful book about pomegranates, "Pomegranate Roads: A Soviet Botanist's Exile from Eden" Floriant Press. All you ever need to know about pomegranates. Where they grow naturally, how they have figured in history, best varieties (over 1,000 vaietries in Dr. Levin's personal collection) and the story of how Dr. levin's collection persihed after the fall of the Soviet Union.

A fascinating read, highly recommend it to all who love this amazing fuit.

[pamalamb]

Ooh, thanks for that suggestion. Sounds like it's right up my alley.

[pitterpatter]

An article in today's New York Times mentions a source for them.

[pamalamb]

I bought the Trader Joe's pomegranate arils just before Christmas... I needed a handful of arils for a dish, and I didn't have time to seed one myself. They were... not so good. Arils become wrinkly and sour after too long, and these were just not tasty.

I actually enjoy seeding the fruit myself. I get very zen-like as I pull the thing apart, and I do 2 or 3 at a time.

[mlgb]

Yes I've seen them in regular California supermarkets. However it is easy enough to seed a pomegranate without a mess if you do it underwater. So I've not bothered to buy them (plus I have a few free fruit locations nearby).

[mariannas]

I saw little canisters of pomegranate seeds at Trader Joe's in Seattle during the holiday season this last year. I think they were around $3.99 or so.