A Passion for Pomegranates The pomegranate is a red fruit with a tough outer layer. It looks pretty ordinary, right? But cut it open and—such jewelry! A cluster of rubies, deep crimson juice-filled gems. With most fruits, you spit the seeds out. With pomegranates, the seeds are what you eat. The mysterious, tangy flavor of the juicy pulp that surrounds each crunchy seed is unlike any other fruit. In your mouth, these ruby pearls burst with pure sweet juice. Pomegranates are loaded with flavonoids and antioxidants. A glass of pomegranate juice provides more antioxidants than red wine, green tea, blueberries or cranberries. For these reasons and many more, the pomegranate is one fruit that you can't afford to exclude from your diet. Pomegranates appear in grocery stores and farmers markets from October to December. Don’t miss out. When choosing, pick large, red fruit that feels heavy for its size. Avoid fruit with cracks in the skin, which indicates over ripeness. Pomegranates are fun to eat but they can be mighty messy. That crimson juice can stain hands and clothes. So is there any way to prepare a pomegranate and still keep your kitchen from looking like a crime scene? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Here’s how: Fill a medium-size bowl with water. Cut off the crown of the pomegranate and cut pomegranate in quarters. Place the cut pomegranate in the bowl of water. Holding the fruit under water, break sections apart with your fingers, separating seeds from membrane. The seeds will sink to the bottom. Discard skin and membranes. Strain the water from the seeds. Place the seeds in a container. Store in the fridge (provided you can keep from eating them). A simple way to use the fruit is to sprinkle those precious little rubies over salads, omelettes and breakfast cereals. Use pomegranate juice in marinades, lemonade, or in homemade grenadine syrup. Source: DrClarkStore.com Self Health Resource Center, posted July 2008 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.