Farmer's Market: Pomegranates

In every town around the world there is always a Farmer's Market, where local area growers/farmers and small local vendors bring their wares to sell.  Each local vendor/grower all are very knowledgeable in what they are selling, especially in the foods they are selling.  I had seen a local baker, fresh locally caught seafood and of course the scores of produce vendors.  Each one would be able to explain the ways to tell if your fruit or vegetable is ripe and ready to eat.  Every week, I will be discussing one of Salinas, CA local area produce and how to be able to tell when it is best to eat.

This week it is pomegranates.  This is a seasonal fruit and can be found through the months of October through January.  Yet they can be found yearly in grocery stores. Of course there is different varieties of pomegranates, but we will discuss the ones found locally around Salinas which are the red ones that you see pictured on most products.
The bright red flower of the pomegranate tree has always been considered a symbol of love and its fruit symbolizes fertility. The size of a ripe pomegranate can be as small as an orange or as big as a grapefruit, depending on its variety. It has a rounded hexagonal shape, with thick reddish rind.
Within the fruit is about 700-800 tightly packed seed casings called arils (fleshy, cover of a seed), that are deep red in color when ripe. It is this abundance of seeds that gives the fruit its name, derived from the Latin pomum granatum which means "fruit with many seeds." The taste of the juice differs depending on the variety and its state of ripeness. But basically, it can be sweet, sour or tangy.

How do you know when they are ripe??

Pom C

As beautiful and delicious and they are, these beautiful red fruit can be a bit problematic if you don't know when is the best time to eat them. Yes you can find them to be sour or tangy when they are not fully ripe.  I discussed with the local grower on how to determine when are they are ready to be eaten.
Of course the skin isn't always reddish, but they can have a reddish-brown color before they mature.  Pomegranates skin tend to stay plump when they are not ripe.  Determining if they are ripe is when the skin starts to show bumps or adheres to the inside flesh.  You will be able to feel the grooves and pockets of the seeded areas.
Also if the top is closed to the top, the fruit is not ready {{as seen in picture Pom C}}.  The top of the fruit has to be open almost like a flower.  That alone is a sure sign that the pomegranate is ready to be eating, but if the top happens to be cut off, then looking at the dark red skin and feeling the grooves is the next best thing.

How do you seed a pomegranate??

• Use a mixing bowl that's wide enough to fit your hands in but is fairly deep so you won't splash too much. Fill it half-full with water.
• Cut your pomegranate in half (this is the messiest part of the whole job).
• Submerge pomegranate halves in water, and use your hands to separate the seeds from the inner membrane.
• The membrane is brittle and will float to the surface; discard membrane and outer rind as you remove the seeds.
• Skim the surface to remove any bits of membrane and broken arils.
• Drain into a colander, and the seeds are ready to use.

What are Pomegranates health benefits??
Pomegranates have many wonderful health benefits....here is a compilation of just a few of the properties of the pomegranates.

• Pomegranate contains higher level of antioxidants than those of blueberries, cranberries and oranges and even red wine or green tea.
• The fruit is eaten around the world to make their skin clear and glowing.
• The anti-inflammatory agent in pomegranate juice significantly reduces arthritic pain.
• Drinking concentrated pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol.
• Pomegranate juice prevent breast cancer cell from forming.
• The juice destroys breast cancer cells while leaving healthy cells protected.
• The juice may inhibit the development of lung cancer.
• Research show that maternal consumption of pomegranate juice may protect the neonatal brain from damage after injury.
• It may prevent and slow Alzheimer's disease.
• The juice may prevent dental plaque.
• Pomegranate fruit helps to remove intestinal worms in children.
• Drinking pomegranate juice frequently is extremely beneficial in fighting the hardening of arteries (atherosclerosis).
• Eating pomegranate frequently may reduce the blood vessel damage, it is found to actually reverse the progression of this disease.
• Pomegranate juice can help keep blood platelets from clumping together to form unwanted clots.
• Drinking eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months improved the amount of oxygen getting to the heart muscle of patients with coronary heart disease.
• Studies show that long-term consumption of pomegranate juice may help combat erectile dysfunction.
• The high content of ascorbic acid in this fruit can help prevent and remedy some respiratory problem.
• Pomegranate juice can help increase your appetite.

Now that you know enough about the delicious pomegranate...explore a little in a meal or a homemade cocktail.  At least you will know it is 100% juice instead of all the added preservatives in the other leading brands of pomegranate juices.  You will be able to find wonderful recipes online or live a little a create one of your own.....

~Irenia Guajardo~