Serious Eats  Spice Hunting: Anardana, Dried Pomegranate Seeds
[Photograph: Robyn Lee]  Pomegranates are just starting to
appear at my local markets, and I couldn't be happier. They're
fruit royalty. I love their intense but nuanced juice encased in
ruby-like seed pods, and the majesty they bring to a braise,
soup, or salad's flavor and texture.  Okay, so they're also as
fussy as royalty. Pomegranates are expensive. Their nectar
stains like beet juice. And if you're successfully able to crack
one open and extricate the seeds without having them burst all
over your shirt, you still run the risk of your fruit having
gone off, as checking for over-ripeness is rather difficult. So
even during pomegranate season I like to have anardana—dried
pomegranate seeds—around.  How to Use Anardana  Anardana is used
in Indian and Persian cuisine as a souring agent, much like
sumac or amchoor. Slow air drying makes it more molasses-like
than fresh pomegranate, so it adds depth of flavor as well as
brightness. While other so