An Educational Treastise on Pomegranates

So when I was picking up ingredients for some punch recipes to share with you next week, I couldn’t help but notice an absolute plethora of pomegranate-flavored items on the shelves. Pomegranates have been around for centuries but only now seem to be breaking out onto the flavor scene as a Superfruit. So I thought I’d do a little digging and share some pomegranate info bits with you (and yes, this is my way of getting out of cooking while I finish getting ready for Christmas).

I first remember pomegranates from the Greek myth of Persephone. Cliff Notes – Hades (god of the Underworld) had a thing for Persephone who was the daughter of Demeter (goddess of the Harvest). He did a grab-n-go with Persephone and took her down below to his place. Demeter had a missing-her-daughter meltdown and caused all green things to die. Her big brother Zeus couldn’t have everything dying so told his younger brother Hades to let the girl go home (and for those doing the math, yes that makes Hades and Persephone related) BUT the Fates had a rule that anyone who ate or drank in the Underworld has to stay there. Persephone didn’t have any food, but Hades tricked her into snacking on six pomegranate seeds.  As a compromise she had to stay with him as his wife for six months of the year but got to go home to mom for the other six and that’s how we got the seasons. The End.

The name "Pomegranate" comes from the Latin for apple (pomum) and seeded (granatus). This influenced the common name for pomegranate in many languages, for example, in German it’s Granat (garnet) + Apfel (apple) = Granatapfel (garnet apple).

Pomegranates are native to Iran and Northern India, though they are cultivated in parts of California and Arizona for juice production. Pomegranate juice has been a popular drink in Persian and Indian cuisine for a long time.

Grenadine syrup (used in mixing cocktails) is actually thickened and sweetened pomegranate juice (yum).  So without pomegranates there would be no Shirley Temples.

Pomegranates are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin Bs, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and fiber. Pomegranates have a high content of potent anti-oxidants and its anti-oxidant count is 2-3 times higher than those found in red wine or green tea.

A new study has shown that drinking pomegranate juice frequently is beneficial in fighting – and reversing – atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) by reducing the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol.

Pomegranates can be used in both savory and sweet dishes, like Persian Pomegranate Soup (Ash-e Anar) or pound cake, you can make a molasses out of it or your own homemade grenadine.

Pomegranates are red and pretty.

Okay, will be back again after the Christmas holiday with more treats for the New Year and New Year celebration.  Wishing you all safe travels, warm memories, and good cooking!