I miss my crunchy, staining seeds

March 21, 2009 10:57 PM

[Boston Filter] Where can I find pomegranates out of season?

I've recently acquired an appreciation for pomegranate seeds and haven't been able to find them at the store anymore. I realize that they're no longer in season, and I'd be willing to pay more to get them off-season, but I can't seem to find anyone who sells them. Does anyone know a local shop that's T or bus accessible, I'd even settle for pre-packaged seeds if such a thing exists.

Barring that, are there any websites I could order some from?

Thanks in advance for the help.

posted by sepsis to food & drink (8 comments total)

A suggestion -- contact Barbara Lynch's South End Plum Produce.
posted by ericb at 1:16 AM on March 22

The Whole Foods in Fresh Pond has one of the biggest produce sections I have ever seen. They often have pomegranates, though they dont always look that great. Worth a check. They are within walking distance of the Alewife stop on the red line.
posted by Mizu at 2:03 AM on March 22

Oh, and actually, you could call them: Fresh Pond store site.
posted by Mizu at 2:04 AM on March 22

I know you're asking about fresh pomegranate seeds, but Indian grocery stores have dried ones (called anardana). My mother used to use them in breads. We also used to eat pomegranate chutney and pomegranate candy. Since it's such a staple, it's possible Indian grocery stores have many other pomegranate-related products., probably even fresh pomegranates.
posted by larkin123 at 3:17 AM on March 22

I just googled "anardana" and got his:

http://www.chow.com/ingredients/267

It's seems it might be common in a variety of cultures, so you might want to check ethnic grocery stores.
posted by larkin123 at 3:27 AM on March 22 [1 favorite]

Coscto is still selling pre-packaged seeds here in Toronto as of yesterday, so if you have a membership or know someone who does, you could try there.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:22 AM on March 22

A note about anardana:

I by them frequently (just about any Indian, Pakistani or Middle Eastern grocer will have them). Know that they are fairly sour (ground anardana is used as a souring agent, much like tamarind and sumac), but works very well if you grind the seeds down and mix with sugar (I make creepy desserts, and I conducted an experiment a few weeks ago using ground anardana, sugar, agar and rose water. It was pretty tasty).

If anardana doesn't cut it, and you wind up being unable to find any fresh poms, look for pomegranate molasses (just about any store - I have a bottle of al-Wadi Pomegranate Molasses that I picked up at Shaw's in the Middle Eastern section).
posted by zerokey at 6:30 AM on March 22

Well, I'm no longer in Boston, but out here (Madison WI), Trader Joe's had prepackaged pomegranate seeds right alongside the berries. I don't remember if the Cambridge TJ's (on Mem Drive?) is bus-accessible, but the one in Brookline (Coolidge Corner) is on many bus lines and the C branch of the Green Line, and the one in Arlington is definitely bus-accessible as well.
posted by sesquipedalia at 11:18 AM on March 22