GAH! HERESY! To **** with Bobby Flay, especially if the hack can't get a pom open without destroying it! HACK! HACK!!!!!!!
Slice off the blossom and then at that point cut a cross deep enough to get JUST into the seeds. Finishing the second cut, twist the knife sideways to pry it open. Eat the good seeds, avoid the rotten ones (there are always some). Seeds that aren't tight, red and shiny are rotten. Avoid them like the plague. Peel and pry thru the tissues inside to get at the seeds by any means necessary, but a knife is rarely necessary. You'll mostly just be using your thumbs.
The seed inside each fruit is TOTALLY EDIBLE and an intrinsic part of eating a pom. Also a good bit of nutrition and fiber in there. They won't hurt dental work either, they're too soft.
They're a fun and delicious toy to enjoy during a favorite TV show. Just don't wear ANYTHING you love while eating one, the juice stains horribly, and you WILL get squirted at some point.
*pomegranate eater since age 9*
While I'm at it, quick lesson on picking one in a supermarket, since I've had to give this out several times to passersby.
The first thing to know is that varieties differ a bit. The most prevalent are enormous and have a thick, tight, glossy, bright red skin. These are fine. But the real jewels, for flavor, are the ugly ducklings of the pom bin. A bit smaller, they have rougher, darker skin, and often show healed scarring on the skin. These cultivars are harder to find and probably less profitable for commercial growers, but they consistently win on flavor. For ripeness, darker skin always wins between any two poms of equal character.
The other two rules go for any pom. First, the bruise test. If you feel any distinct bruising in the skin, put it down and look for another. As long as seeds aren't ruptured, these things will last for months. As soon as they're bruised and seeds pop, they start rotting from the inside out and can just ruin your day.
Secondly, there's the tap test. Again, we're testing for loose juice, which means rot. With the pom held right to your ear, tap a few times firmly with your index finger on the pom. Rotate and repeat at several spots. You want a hollow, resonant thunk. That's your best bet that you've got a good pom.
I hope this helps someone else enjoy this wonderful, often holy fruit in its purest form.
EDIT: Slightly yellow fingertips are normal and will go away in 2-3 days. FYI.
