Winter Fruit Salad with Pomegranate

Possibly my favorite fruit salad ever. No extra frills, just an amazing combination of delicious fruit and their yummy juices.

1 pomegranate
2 oranges
2 grapefruits
2 crisp apples (such as fuji or honeycrisp)
1 ripe yet firm pear
1 tbsp. sugar (I don't usually even do this)

Slice the pomegranate in half, from the crown halfway to the bottom. Use your fingers to break the two halves apart, then squeeze the halves over a large bowl to release the seeds and juices. Don't worry about getting all the seeds out; just get as many as you can easily without pulling out the membrane. Squeeze out as much juice as possible. Remove any bits of membrane from the bowl.

For each orange and grapefruit, slice a little off the top and bottom. Using a serrated knife, go around the fruit and cut off the skin and white pith. Holding the fruit in one hand and working over the fruit bowl, carefully cut the segments out from between the membranes. Be sure to cut only until you reach the middle of the fruit. Squeeze the remaining membrane over the bowl to release all the juice.

Cut the apples and pear into slices and toss with the other fruits. Add the sugar if desired and toss well, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.