Milk and Rose Dessert
Delicate starch sheets soaked in sweet milk, layered with walnuts and finished with pistachios and pomegranate.
The Turkish pantry
Pomegranate arils
Juicy flesh-covered seeds for a tart, crunchy finish.
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The edible aril includes the juicy covering and its seed. This guide concerns fresh arils with the leathery rind and white membranes removed; juice and pomegranate molasses are separate ingredients.
Types & forms
Fresh arils
The edible flesh-covered seeds shown here.
Frozen arils · comparison
Useful in prepared dishes; thawing can soften their texture.
Juice and molasses · comparison
Liquids with different texture and concentration, not substitutes for the crunch of whole arils.
What to look for when buying
- For whole fruit, choose sound specimens without mold or leaking damage. For packed arils, follow refrigeration and use-by instructions.
- Check that a prepared pack contains plain arils rather than sweetened fruit or a mixed topping.
Prepare & cook
- Wash the fruit before cutting. Score the rind, open into sections and loosen the arils from the white membranes; a bowl of water helps separate floating membranes from sinking arils.
- Drain well before adding to a salad or dessert. Protect clothing and work surfaces from staining juice.
Store it well
- Keep prepared arils covered in the refrigerator and use promptly, within five days of preparation at most; follow any shorter package instruction.
- To freeze, spread arils in one layer, then transfer the frozen pieces to a sealed freezer container. Thawed fruit may be softer.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Pomegranate juice
It contributes liquid and tartness but no seed crunch; it cannot replace a finishing garnish in the same way.
Omitting an optional garnish
Where the recipe explicitly marks arils optional, omission is a valid choice. Preserve any required main ingredient.
Nutrition
Pomegranates, raw [1]
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 83 kcal |
| Protein | 1.67 g |
| Total fat | 1.17 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.12 g |
| Carbohydrate | 18.7 g |
| Dietary fiber | 4 g |
| Total sugars | 13.7 g |
| Sodium | 3 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 10 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 236 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg |
Raw edible pomegranate portion, including seed and juicy covering; rind and membranes excluded. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.
Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.
At the Turkish table
This collection’s güllaç pairs pomegranate arils with the milk-soaked dessert. The arils supply a distinct juicy seed texture; pomegranate molasses would instead add a concentrated liquid. This is the linked recipe’s garnish choice, not a claim that every güllaç needs pomegranate.
Cook with Pomegranate arils
Beet and Pomegranate Salad
Tender beets with dill, parsley, walnuts and pomegranate in a lemon and olive oil dressing.