How to Choose the Best Pomegranate Every Time, According to Experts

It’s peak pomegranate season in the United States, which means you may be browsing grocery store aisles looking for the perfect fruit to add to salads or desserts.

A ripe pomegranate is not only sweeter, it also offers more concentrated benefits like antioxidants and vitamin C, says culinary nutrition consultant Julie Lopez, RD. Health.

So how do you choose a pomegranate that is not only juicy and delicious, but also full of nutrients? Unlike fruits with more obvious signs of ripeness, pomegranates are a little more mysterious.

A perfect-tasting pomegranate may not be perfect, said holistic nutritionist Stacey Woodson, MS, RDN, LD. Health.

Instead of a flawless sphere, “look for a slightly square or angular shape,” she advised. Flat or irregularly shaped sides mean that the arils inside the fruit have swollen with juice, transforming the shape of the fruit. “That’s your signal that you’re getting plump, juicy arils, packed with cutting-edge antioxidants and that signature sweet-tart flavor.”

One of the best signs of a pomegranate’s ripeness? Its weight. While shopping, don’t hesitate to pick up a few fruits to compare their weight or even weigh them on a grocery scale. “This extra weight means the arils are swollen with juice, plump, sweet and packed with peak nutrients,” Woodson said.

Since heavier pomegranates contain more antioxidant-rich liquid, they’re a particularly good choice if you plan to juice your fruit, says Catherine Sebastian, MS, RD, registered dietitian for The Wonderful Company. Health.

You can even gently squeeze a grenade or toss it lightly into the air to gauge its density as well as its weight. “A good pomegranate should be strong and dense, not airy or hollow,” Lopez said.

The texture of a pomegranate can tell you a lot about the quality of the fruit it contains. Woodson recommends choosing one with tight skin and a leathery appearance.

The best fruit will also be free of cracks or bruises, she said. While cracks can sometimes be the result of overwatering, they can also indicate a fungal infection. For food safety reasons, it is best to avoid split fruit.

Bruising, on the other hand, can affect the juiciness of a pomegranate and therefore its nutritional value. A 2023 study compared bruised and unbruised pomegranates stored for 28 days and found that bruised ones were less firm, smaller, and lighter than unbruised ones.

Other textural signs to avoid are a soft touch and shriveled skin, which can indicate overripeness or even that a fruit is starting to ferment, Lopez said.

And of course, if you spot visible mold or detect an unpleasant odor, don’t put that pomegranate in your cart.

The ruby ​​red color is perhaps the most distinctive feature of pomegranates, but it doesn’t reveal as much about ripeness as you might think. “The exterior of a ripe pomegranate can range from light pink to dark ruby ​​red,” Sebastian said. “The rind doesn’t have to be a perfect red to be filled with the most beautiful, juicy arils. »

Rather than focusing too much on color, Woodson suggests using weight, shape and texture as more reliable guides to maturity.

However, Lopez noted that consistent coloring is a good sign. “Uneven or uneven color can mean the fruit has ripened unevenly, resulting in varying sweetness and distribution of nutrients within.”

When faced with a pile of pomegranates at the store, keep three factors in mind: weight, shape and texture. These signs could mean the difference between bringing home a dull fruit and one that’s ripe and packed with antioxidants.