In all of my adult life, I have never tackled a pomegranate. I have coveted them - but was secretly terrified of their uniqueness. Star fruit? No problem - you just slice it into neato little star shapes. I have purchased pomegranates every winter. And used them as part of a center piece. It is pathetic.
Well, no more.
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| Virgin arils! |
This winter started as all the rest - the lure of the deep red orbs was too tantalizing to pass by, and I bought three of them. And they sat, as always, in my green glass bowl. As I noticed that the top of one was turning brown, the guilt overcame me and I pulled up my well-worn BGPs (the elastic is starting to show the strain of too many energetic pulling-ups) and turned to my source of all things I need to learn - YouTube. While it was not difficult, it was tedious and time-consuming and I have a new and healthy respect for the pricing of pomegranate juice. And, something more - I love them, these brilliant arils! I have put them on everything and I still have two more to open. Geezlouise.
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Under the category of, "If I Ruled", there is nothing that fries my grits faster than supposedly, 'green' products that have outrageously non-green packaging. Case in point:
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| Spare me... |
I am drinking a cup of turmeric-ginger tea every day to help with stiff joints. I cannot take turmeric capsules, as they rip through my system in a very unpleasant way, but the tea does not and does very much make a difference. I had run out of my favorite so took advantage of doing some shopping at a reasonably local natural grocery co-op. Although this tea was on the precious side - precious name, precious box, precious description, it was touted as all natural, best thing ever, yada yada. I paid twice as much as I usually do (the price was precious, too), but felt rather virtuous with my ultra-precious "Green" purchase. Then I opened the box. WTH. Giant PLASTIC wrappings on every, single, precious tea bag. If it hadn't been such a schlep to go back (think carbon footprint - I was cornered), I would have returned them. Now, every time I want a cup of tea, I steam right along with my kettle. Avoid this brand at all costs! If I Ruled, there would be mandatory packaging information on every box, bag, crate, or can. Not only would all ingredients have to be listed, but a detailed inventory of the inner packaging. In this case, it would read: Outrageously unnecessary large, PLASTIC, wrapping on Every.Single.Precious.Bag. It's as bad as Amazon, sending non-reuseable plastic bubble bags, ten times larger than is necessary for its contents. Don't get me started. Oops. Too late.
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Tonight the cookie-making commences. There are two cookies that can be mixed up ahead of baking by a few days. I am taking advantage of that opportunity. If I can stick to my schedule (oh, hahahahahahahahaha, I kill me!) I should be able to arrive in the late afternoon on Saturday with six or seven dozen perfect cookies on trays. Snort. We all know what the reality will be - a hot mess on trays, along with the baker. I hope they are spiking the punch.
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On a happier note, I received a little ray of sunshine in my mailbox this weekend. A very lovely woman who reads my blog, sent the loveliest card! She said it reminded her of me. What a wonderful compliment. There was no return address, so I can't respond in writing with my thanks - if you'd care to email me, I would love to thank you, virtually, in person.
8 comments:
Being a pomegranate wimp myself, you are now a god in my eyes. Canada is working on a national packaging protocol although I think it might be stuck in a dusty file somewhere. Good luck with the baking, I'm sure they will be delish.
Just peeled 3 this morning. I'll do it as I watch the news or something because it is very tedious work. Ah, but the rewards are worth it. I eat 'em like popcorn. (As long as I can catch then on sale.) They can be expensive.
Luckily, the pomegranate peeling routine was introduced to me as youngster. My Mom and I would watch old horror movies (think Bela Lugosi) on Saturday night, snacking on pomegranates. I might make an pie this afternoon...might. :-)
Can you work those pomegranate seeds into any of your cookie recipes?
So, being a pomegranate avoider...what happens to the seeds? Do you eat it or spit it... just wondered...
you remind me of me when I'm speculating on how much more time it will take me to finish whatever model I'm working on. whatever I come up with I should just go ahead and multiply it by 3. I'm nothing if not optimistic. and hot mess or not, I'm sure the cookies will be delicious. and I'm sure I saw one of the 'right way to' peel a pomegranate videos where you do whatever you do and the little nuggets just fall out.
Had I not married my wife, I probably would have had similar feelings about pomegranates but we use them quite a bit. Mostly in salads from the lettuce to bulgur varieties but we also use them in soups and even roasted with chicken and such.
Although I hate excess individual packaging just as much as others, I do have to point out there is another side from a manufacturing perspective. Sometimes packaging stuff individually allows the manufacturer to do it all with one line but yet have product that can be sold by the case, box or individually. By eliminating multiple lines with multiple packaging machines, they can reduce their carbon footprint. Manufacturers always want to put the least amount of money, time and product in making anything. I don't know if it offsets all those individual packages in the landfills but it is definitely something to think about.
I hear you Susan, nothing boils my potatoes like products that claim "natural" and "organic" then are filled with lead and poison in the packaging...congratulations on the pomegranate! I have never had a "live" one...only in liqueur form!!! :)
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