Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Pomegranate Seeds?
Yes, you can freeze pomegranate seeds easily and successfully at home! All you need to know is properly de-seed the pomegranates, and then freeze them after flash-freezing. If you follow the method and the instructions given correctly and carefully, you can freeze your pomegranate seeds for up to even 6 months! Freezing pomegranate seeds is an excellent plan for their long-term storage.
This is a comprehensive guide put together with the aim of taking you through in detail the steps of the different methods to freeze pomegranate seeds.
Without further ado, let’s get right into the first method!
Can You Freeze Flash-frozen Pomegranate Seeds in Bags or Containers?
Freezing pomegranate seeds is very easy, and does not require too much preparation or external materials. The flash-freezing part is really important, and if you follow these instructions meticulously, you can freeze your pomegranate seeds for up to six months.
Materials
- Knife
- Baking sheet tray
- Parchment / wax paper
- Airtight freezer-friendly resealable bags or freezer-friendly containers
Tools
- No special tools needed
Instructions
- Prep the pomegranates for freezing – This includes carefully cutting and de-seeding the pomegranates.
One popular way to do it is to cut off the crown, and then cut the pomegranate into quarters with the skin still on.
After this, keep the pomegranate quarters in a bowl of cold water for around half an hour.
Then, you can scrape out the seeds from the piths using your fingers. - Lay out the pomegranate seed arils on a baking tray - First, line the baking tray with wax or parchment paper.
Then, arrange the pomegranate seed arils carefully on the tray, and try your best to ensure that they do not touch or overlap. - Flash-freeze the pomegranate seeds – Flash-freeze the pomegranate seeds by keeping the baking tray in the freezer for six to seven hours.
To be safe, you can also flash-freeze your pomegranate seeds overnight. - Pack in freezer bags or containers, seal and freeze – Once your pomegranate seeds have frozen hard, transfer them from the baking tray into airtight freezer bags or airtight freezer-safe containers.
Seal the bag or container tightly and securely. Label them, and stash them in your freezer. They can now be frozen for up to four to six months.
Freezing Pomegranate Seeds as Juice/Puree in Bags or Containers
Time Taken: 30-40 minutes
What You Need:
- Blender
- Airtight containers/freezer bags
Freezing pomegranate seeds blended into a puree is an excellent way to store them!
Not only is it super versatile, it is also helpful if you need the pomegranate blended anyway for a particular recipe or as juice or a smoothie!
Doing it before freezing ensures saving time and energy once thawed.
Pureeing is a safe, healthy option and also quite easy. All you have to do is essentially blend and freeze.
Prep the Pomegranate to Freeze
Follow the same process as before; once thoroughly washed and cleaned, de-seed the pomegranates carefully using the method you prefer.
Blend the Pomegranate Seeds into a Puree
Once de-seeded fully, put the pomegranate seeds inside a blender with water and puree until it is smooth. You can also use a food processor.
If needed, follow this step-by-step guide to properly puree your pomegranate seeds before freezing:
Transfer into Airtight Container/Freezer Bag
Once your puree is ready, you can carefully put it inside either an airtight heavy-duty resealable freezer bag or an airtight freezer-friendly container.
Seal, Label, and Freeze
Seal the bags or container very carefully, making sure they are both airtight and watertight.
Label them, and they are good to be kept in freezer storage for up to six to seven months!
Freezing Pomegranate Seeds as Pureed Cubes
Time Taken: 7-8 hours
What You Need:
- Food processor/blender
- Ice cube trays
- Resealable airtight freezer bags
Freezing with the help of ice cube trays is a very popular method for freezing liquid food items.
So yes, you need to puree your pomegranate seeds for this method; following the same method as before.
Then, you can freeze the pomegranate puree (it has a nice ring to it!) into cubes.
Puree your Pomegranate Seeds
Pureeing fruit is a fairly easy process that just requires a blender or food processor.
Follow the guide given for the previous method.
Pour the pomegranate puree into ice cube trays.
Do this carefully, and be sure not to fill the cubes to the brim with the puree as it may expand while freezing.
Transfer the Trays into the Freezer and Flash-freeze
Let the pomegranate puree cubes flash-freeze for at least 5 to 6 hours.
Remember that the top of the cube may have frozen, but not the entire cube.
So be generous with the amount of time you keep them in the freezer.
To be safe, you can even flash-freeze overnight.
Transfer the Cubes to Airtight Freezer Bags
Once they have frozen, do this process as fast as possible so that the frozen pomegranate puree cubes do not start to thaw.
Seal Securely, Label and Freeze
Once the bags are sealed securely and labeled, they are ready to freeze.
These pomegranate puree cubes can also be frozen up to six to seven months.
You can use the cubes to chill wine spritzers or even fruit teas, or use them directly in smoothies and milkshakes.
How to Freeze Pomegranates Whole
Time Taken: 10-15 minutes
What You Need:
- Airtight freezer-friendly container with tight-fitting lid / airtight resealable freezer bag
If you don’t wish to get into the whole ordeal of de-seeding, you can keep that for later and simply freeze the pomegranates whole right away!
To begin with, do keep in mind that pomegranates have a fairly respectable shelf life when kept in the refrigerator (around one to two months! ).
However, if you plan to keep them around for longer, you can go ahead with freezing them whole!
Wash and Clean the Pomegranate Well
This is a given before freezing anything at all.
The item needs to be cleaned and washed thoroughly, so make sure you do that before freezing.
Place the Whole Pomegranate Inside an Airtight Container or a Freezer Bag
Whichever you go with, make sure they are of good quality so that they are able to keep the pomegranate in the freezer.
Simply place the whole pomegranate inside.
If you decide to go with a container, try to use one that is more or less the same size as the fruit so that there is not too much space left for air.
Seal Carefully
If you are using an airtight freezer bag, be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.
Seal very tightly and carefully.
Label the freezer bag or container with the storage date, and freeze!
Whole pomegranates can be kept in freezer storage for up to two months.
Do note that when frozen whole, pomegranates will also obviously take a lot longer to defrost.
You can thaw whole pomegranates simply by transferring them to the fridge from the freezer and letting them thaw for at least a few hours (overnight if possible.)
Once thawed, consume immediately and discard any leftovers; do not re-freeze.
How Long Can You Freeze Pomegranate Seeds?
As with most fruits, pomegranate seeds freeze quite well and can be kept in freezer storage for quite some time.
However, their flavor, taste and texture may start to deteriorate after six months or so.
If frozen properly following the right method with all the steps having been followed properly, and if made sure that the bags or containers have been sealed carefully and made totally airtight and watertight, your pomegranate seeds should stay good for five to six months.
How to Store Frozen Pomegranate Seeds?
Pomegranate seeds can be kept in freezer storage in airtight freezer bags (after flash-freezing) or in airtight containers, as has been discussed earlier.
They can also be frozen into cubes first after pureeing and then kept in freezer storage for up to six methods months, or you can store them as the puree itself.
Whichever method you go with, the sealing and freezing needs to be done very carefully; good quality airtight and watertight freezer bags or containers need to be used, and it needs to be ensured that the seeds are frozen in the same, consistent temperature in the freezer.
How to Defrost Frozen Pomegranate Seeds?
To defrost your pomegranate seeds, you can simply transfer the freezer bags or containers from the freezer to the fridge and leave them to thaw overnight, or at least for 6 to 8 hours.
You can also simply take them out of the freezer and place them in a bowl, and leave to thaw on your kitchen counter for a few hours.
Once thawed completely, you can eat the seeds as they are directly from the freezer bag or container.
Or you can use them in different beverages and other food dishes.
The latter is recommended more with frozen food items.
You can also simply use the pomegranate puree or cubes in smoothies.
In that case, there is no need to defrost them. Just go ahead and stick them right into making your smoothie.
The frozen pomegranate will make your smoothie iced and tasty.
Can You Re-freeze Frozen Pomegranate Seeds?
It is never a good idea to re-freeze fruit.
Thawed fruits like pomegranates can suffer significantly with regard to their texture, flavor, taste, and appearance.
Therefore, it is best to avoid re-freezing mangoes.
If re-frozen, the seeds will become mushy and lose their crunchy texture.
Even for freezing, freezing in portions is always the most recommended as it lets you defrost and use only as much of it as you need, at a time, without having to go into the hassle of re-freezing.
Do Pomegranate Seeds Freeze Well?
Yes, like all fruits, pomegranates and their seeds freeze quite well.
If prepped carefully following the right methods, they can even be kept in freezer storage for up to five to six months.
That said, do note that the longer you keep pomegranate seeds in freezer storage, the greater are their chances of slowly getting mushier and poorer with regard to their texture.
So, freeze them accordingly, with plans to consume them by the earliest.
FAQs
Yes, definitely. Freezing your pomegranate seeds with other fruit pieces makes them very easy to use after thawing. Other berries, for example, freeze quite well.
You can try freezing your pomegranate seeds with cherries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Yes, absolutely! Our advice is to ensure that you freeze the seeds into suitably sized freezer bags so you know the amount one bag contains; and can use to thaw and eat accordingly, only as much as you need at a time.
Flash-freezing ensures that the pomegranate seeds do not stick together during the actual freezing process.
If you skip over flash-freezing, the chances are that you will have a hard time separating some seeds from the huge mound clumped together, and you may have to thaw the whole thing first.
Following that, you may even have to re-freeze the leftover seeds, which is advised against strongly.
Sure, you can freeze them in an airtight container as long as it is freezer-safe and properly washed, cleaned, and disinfected first.
Just try your best to make it as airtight and watertight as possible so that your pomegranate seeds freeze well.
If frozen correctly and consumed duly within a maximum of six months within freezing, pomegranate seeds should freeze fine.
However, as with all frozen foods, it is always advised to carefully inspect them for signs of spoilage before consuming.
With pomegranate seeds, it is actually quite easy to tell. If they give an odor that is off, and if they seem excessively mushy and are too slimy and slippery to handle, chances are that they have gone bad.
Yes! Frozen pomegranates do not change at all with respect to their nutritional content or benefits.
So, all the nutritional benefits in fresh pomegranate seeds (being full of antioxidants and vitamins, for example!) will also be there and well-preserved in frozen seeds.
As always, it is important that you freeze fresh, ripe pomegranates to freeze. Those are the ones that will freeze best. Look for large, red, bright pomegranates that are ripe and fresh. And freeze those.
Bottom Line
We earnestly hope this detailed, comprehensive guide covering all the best methods to freeze pomegranate seeds successfully, along with whole pomegranate fruits, at the safety and ease of your home, has helped you in your freezing experiences!
For any further questions, you may have, please reach out and let us know, we would love to help you out.
If you have any other tips and tricks you would like to add here and have more people know, do let us know; we will add them to the guide so they can reach and help more people!
If this has helped you, please do share it with your friends and family so that they can also use this guide.