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    Home » Dehydrating

    Author: Darcy Baldwin • This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

    How to Dehydrate Pomegranate Arils

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pomegrate and jar of dehydrated pomegranate arils on white background

    You CAN dehydrate pomegranate arils (seeds). Learn how to dehydrate pomegranate arils for snacks and crunchy toppings!

    Pomegrate and jar of dehydrated pomegranate arils on white background

    Have you ever purchased pomegranates, but never finished them because they were just so much work? I've found the perfect solution to making them last for months!

    I know, pomegranates are those fruit that you love to buy and say you'll use, but you never do, and then you throw them away. They're so much work to get to the actual seeds (they are called arils), and then they are so tiny.

    And then what do you even do with the actual seeds?!

    Well, I've found the best way to have your pomegranate, eat it, and save it, too!

    But a word of warning....get some protective gear going. An apron you don't mind getting stained (though I found Oxiclean really removed the juice stains out of my apron), and put something protective over wooden cutting boards.

    How to Dehydrate Pomegranate Arils

    Always preheat your dehydrator when you begin to prep your produce, and dehydrate at the appropriate temperatures. Running at 160F  doesn’t make things dehydrate faster, it just promotes case hardening, which you don’t want!


    STEP 1: Clean Pomegranates

    If you've even heard of a fraction of the recent produce recalls, you'll realize that it is important to wash ALL of your produce, even if you are going to peel it ahead of time. You're still handling the outside - which will transfer whatever ick there are to the inside through your hands or through the knife. So wash everything!

    Step 2: Cut off the Top of the Pomegranate

    Cut a sliver of the top until you've exposed just enough of the arils that you can begin to see where the segments lie.

    Step 3: Segment the Pomegranate

    Red pomegranate over cutting board showing natural segments

    You can see the natural segment lines of the pomegranate, so cut down along those and then gently pull apart the segments, not so much that you break it apart, but that you make it look like a flower.

    You'll then want to gently separate the segments and pull out any pulpy bits to expose the pomegranate arils.

    READ MORE> Tips for Buying Your First Dehydrator

    Step 4: Tap Out Arils

    Flip your pomegranate over a bowl with your hand, and gently tap the skin side with a wooden spoon. You can use some force, but don't pound. The arils will begin falling out without being broken. If you notice that they've stopped, flip it back over and check to see if there is more of the pulpy membrane to pull off and release more sections of arils.

    I do this over a bowl with a strainer set in it. I collect the arils in the mesh strainer and allow the juice you'll get to collect in the bowl. At the end of the session - it's pure pomegranate juice that's good for a tasty drink! (I allowed mine to drain overnight in the fridge before putting them on dehydrator trays to dry. I wanted to make sure they were fully drained.

    It's important that you don't squeeze the arils - just allows whatever juice might be happening to drain. I got about a quarter of a cup from my very ripe pomegranate.

    Step 5: Spread Arils on Dehydrator Trays

    Line your dehydrator trays with parchment paper so that the juice doesn't stain your mesh tray liners. Spread them out as much as you can. You can use your silicone fruit leather sheets, too, I just preferred not to take the chance with mine and use parchment paper (baking paper).

    Step 6: Dehydrate @ 135°F / 65°C

    Dehydrating time is relative, but you can expect these to take at least 12 hours or so. I allow them to dry for about 9 hours, then remove the parchment from the tray to give them full access to the airflow.

    Step 7: Dryness Test

    Pomegranate arils will be dry and not sticky. There should be no moisture left inside the membrane.

    Pomegranate arils on Excalibur dehydrator tray

    Step 8: Condition

    Conditioning dehydrated foods allows you to make sure your fruit and vegetables are truly dry. Keep in an airtight container with room to shake, shake once or twice a day for a week, and check for any condensation. If you see moisture, throw them back into the dehydrate to dry longer.

    As a word of caution - if you do see what looks to be mold, toss them.

    Step 9: Store

    Store in an airtight container for up to six months.

    Dehydrating Basics ebook on a tablet with a cup of coffee on a wooden background

    Can you Powder Dehydrated Pomegranate Arils

    As much as I love powdering fruits and vegetables, dehydrated pomegranate arils are not good candidates for powdering for most folks. The seeds are still a large bulk of the product, and are hard to grind in small grinders. That much seed also will be bitter compared to the tart, sweet of the flesh. So munch them as fun treats, instead!

    How to Use Dehydrated Pomegranate Arils

    • Sprinkle over a salad
    • Use as a topping on chicken salad
    • Add as a yogurt topping
    • Add to granola for some added texture.

    How do you think you might use dehydrated pomegranate?

    Pomegrate and jar of dehydrated pomegranate arils on white background
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    Dehydrate Pomegranate Arils

    Dehydrating pomegranate arils create a tart crunchy snack or use as a salad topping or replacement for nuts in chicken salad!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Drying Time12 hrs
    Total Time12 hrs 15 mins
    Course: Snack
    Keyword: arils, Pomegranate aril
    Author: Darcy Baldwin

    Equipment

    • Dehydrator
    • Parchment paper

    Ingredients

    • Pomegranate

    Instructions

    • Wash well
    • Slice off top, segment pomegranate
    • Tap to release seeds or place under water to release.
    • Place arils in single layer on dehydrator sheets. Use parchment if you are concerned about staining. You can remove it after about 8 hours
    • Dry at 135°F / 57°C for 12-+ hours.
    • Arils will be hard and there should be no moisture
    • Condition
    • Store in an airtight container.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thepurposefulpantry or tag #thepurposefulpantry!
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    Pomegrate and jar of dehydrated pomegranate arils on white background
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    Comments

    1. eli says

      December 09, 2020 at 2:41 pm

      can the arils be expressed in a juicer?

      Reply
      • Darcy says

        December 09, 2020 at 2:53 pm

        Because I've never used a juicer, I don't know how it will handle the seeds, so I can't tell you for sure. You can definitely use a hand juicer to do it, and you can use a blender and then strain it.

        Reply

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    Howdy! I'm Darcy! I've spent the last twenty years learning how to stretch our budget to meet the needs of our growing family. I want to help you succeed at it, too!

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    Howdy! I'm Darcy! I've spent the last twenty years learning how to stretch our budget to meet the needs of our growing family. I want to help you succeed at it, too!

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