One of the oldest fruits known to man, the pomegranate is the fruit of a small tree native to grasslands stretching from the Middle East all the way to the Himalayas and south to India. With a tough, red skin, the pomegranate is prized for its edible seeds, called arils, which have a sweet and sour taste.
The name pomegranate is derived from the Latin for apple "pomum" (apple) and "granatus" (seeded). Pomegranate recipes abound in the cuisines of many Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures. Whether stirred into sauces and chutneys, juiced and blended into drinks or baked and formed into sweets and desserts, pomegranates are one of the few bright and sweet fruits of winter.
Pomegranates are good sources of vitamin C and potassium. Recent studies have shown that pomegranates contain high levels of punicalagins, compounds that could act as antioxidants in the body.
Recipe: Pomegranate, Persimmon And Pecan Salad
Recipe: Sliced Oranges With Pomegranate Caramelized Walnuts
Place the pomegranate down on its stem end; the blossom end with have a small opening.
Cut firmly down along one of the 6 hexagonal ribs; hitting the rib cuts the flesh and not the seeds.
Hold the fruit down firmly and move your fingers away from the bottom; the juice is very dark red and stains almost everything.
Remove the split fruit to a bowl of water immediately to prevent staining of fingers and cutting boards.
Holding the cut side down over the bowl of water, tap it firmly with a spoon. The seeds will fall out and sink to the bottom; the inedible pith will float to the surface.
Alternatively, peel the skin off the fruit in the bowl of water. Either method works well to extract the sweet, juicy kernels.
