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I've had these in my garden for years but only saw the inside of one today. I remember seeing something like this in a salad once.

What is it, and is it edible?

Niall C.
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1 Answers1

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That is a pomegranate. The fleshy, juicy seed pods are known as arils and are most certainly edible. The outer husk of the fruit and the interior membranes that separate the arils are generally not eaten.

Based on the color, the specimen in your first picture may be a little unripe. The outside will turn red when the pod is fully ripened.

Congratulations! That looks very tasty indeed.

  • I might add that you can find pomegranates on supermarket shelves in Europe. –  Feb 08 '16 at 15:04
  • I think the arils may turn darker red as the fruit matures in addition to the husk darkening, but perhaps that varies within subspecies. –  Feb 08 '16 at 15:07
  • Pomegranates also make excellent jelly, if you have an abundance of the fruits. They're also often available in-season in the US on supermarket shelves, fwiw. – Joe Feb 08 '16 at 15:21
  • Nitpick: those are not arils, but [sarcotestae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcotesta) (sp.?), as the articles you linked state. –  Feb 08 '16 at 15:49
  • Pomegranates also make excellent juice and is sold under the POM brand in the UK and USA. –  Feb 08 '16 at 15:56