Tart-tasting pulp, sweet and sour juice that gives divine coolness in hot summer. Pomegranate is not only damn delicious but also rich in vitamins C, P, B6, and B12. Ancient Romans called it the Carthaginian apple, a symbol of health, longevity, and fertility. Today, this fruit is well studied, all its parts are used in cooking, medicine, and cosmetology, and doctors recommend regularly including it in the diet to prevent many diseases.
You should choose the best fruit if you gonna enjoy its taste and beneficial properties.
How to choose a pomegranate
Did you know that there are whole cities planted with pomegranate trees alone? For example, the Azerbaijani town of Goychay, with a memorable holiday during harvesting.
Pomegranate gets into our stores from South America, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. Its varieties differ in the size of the fruit, the hardness/softness of the seeds, the sweetness, and the time of ripening. It is impossible to list them all, here are just a few of the most interesting. Choose whatever you like:
- Dogwood-anor – variety from Uzbekistan. Ripens early, usually in the first half of October. The shape of the fruits is round-flat, size can be both small and large, the peel is thin. The seeds are medium and dark red.
- Ak Don or Tuyatish (“Camel’s tooth”) – one more variety from Central Asia. The peel has a light color with a pleasant crimson hue; the seeds are large, elongated, and pink.
- Achik-anor is a sweet and sour variety of pomegranates. Its fruits have a rounded shape, slightly narrowed at the base, the peel is a thick green-carmine color, the seeds are large and have intense dark cherry color.
- Geisha (Gulosha), pink and red, are the best varieties of pomegranate growing in Azerbaijan. The pink fruits have a rounded and elongated shape, a thin cream-pink skin, and medium-sized dark cherry-colored seeds. The red one is bigger with carmine-red peel striped at the base. The seeds are sizeable dark cherry color. Both varieties have a rich sweet and sour taste.
- Wonderful is a pomegranate from the USA and widespread in Southern Europe. The fruits are small but very sweet, have a white-yellow color with a slight blush, the seeds are small and soft.
How to pick a good pomegranate
If you have your garden, then you do not need to worry. After all, you know exactly what conditions your fruits grew in and how long they hung on the tree. It’s a shame that not everyone has such an opportunity. At least you can taste the fruit at the market. But what to do if you came to the store in search of a pomegranate?
Be all eyes. Some claim that choosing a ripe pomegranate without opening it is more complex than many other fruits— just a lottery. And yet, some life hacks exist.
- The bigger, the better: if the fruit is large, then it is ripe. But focus not only on the size but also on the weight. A heavy fruit means there is a lot of juice inside.
- No cracks or dents. Such fruit is overripe. That goes for dark spots on the peel.
- If the peel is very thin and brownish, seeds are probably dry.
- The peel should be solid (like orange’s) and rough. If pomegranate is soft, it is spoiled.
- Make sure that the “crown” is not green and not pale pink. Red, only red
- If you knock on it and hear a dull sound, it means that it is unripe, overripe, or dry.
Most varieties ripen in late autumn. To be sure that the fruit you are buying is not from a greenhouse but a garden, find out when each variety ripens.
How to tell if a pomegranate is bad
Let’s sum up. Which pomegranate is better to leave in the shop?
Small and light, with cracks or dents, with thin and brownish peel. Its peel is soft and smooth, “crown” is green or pale pink. When you knock, the sound is dull.
Which pomegranate is the sweetest?
Unripe fruit will always be dry and sour. And an overripe fruit is most likely spoiled with an unpleasant taste. But not only the ripeness is essential but also the variety.
The sweetest pomegranate in the world is the Indian variety “Dholka.” Israeli “Mangulatiy,” Turkish varieties, and Ak Don are also delightful. Turkish types have much more vitamin C than apples and lemons and no seeds at all.
Which pomegranate is best white or red?
You may feel confused about white pomegranate and think about how it differs from the usual red one. White pomegranate has the same valuable properties and vitamins as red. It is usually sweet.
How to open a pomegranate
When you return from the store, you will surely want to enjoy the fruit. So that you don’t break your head, thinking of a way to open it and not to pour all the juice over yourself, keep the proven methods:
- The first method is to cut out the “crown” with the tip of a knife, then cut the peel of the fruit from top to bottom along the “ribs” (you can quickly notice them). Break the fruit into slices along the incisions.
- The second method (for bummers) is to cut the fruit in half. Then holding the halves over the container, lightly tap the pomegranate peel with a spoon — the seeds will fall out on the plate.
How to store pomegranate seeds for a long time
Unripe fruits will not be able to ripen at home (like bananas, for example). But you don’t care because you now know how to choose a ripe pomegranate.
Froze pomegranate seeds and enjoyed them in winter. To do this, remove seeds, get rid of their skin, and put them in the freezer – they can stay there for a year.
What is the healthiest part of a pomegranate?
Good news – any part of it is equally valuable. There is no healthiest one because each of them is useful for different things. So the choice depends on you.
Pomegranate has a disinfecting effect, thanks to tannin. Most of it is not in the pulp but a peel: you can use it for infectious diseases as a plant antiseptic. Pomegranate juice improves appetite and normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract. And a decoction of its peel will help to get rid of intestinal dysbiosis. Pulp is beneficial for women as it reduces the risk of breast cancer. It is also a natural medicine for heart diseases, coughs, colds, and malaria. Besides, pomegranate improves the adaptation of the eyes to the dark. Seeds are an excellent antioxidant. Consumption of polyphenoles and flavonoids are beneficial for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Oil made of pomegranate seeds is good for cooking and medicine and improves the functioning of the intestine.
Few more words about the benefits
Pomegranate is helpful for women with thyroid problems suffering from PMS and heavy bleeding during menstruation. The combination of iron and vitamin B12 helps to improve the blood composition of smokers.
It also improves a woman’s health during menopause. Pomegranate contains a plant analog of estrogen. So it helps to cope with the restructuring of the hormonal balance, unpleasant symptoms, weakness, and mood fluctuations.
For men, juice, and pulp stimulate blood circulation in the pelvis. This prevents prostatitis and problems with the reproductive system.
For pregnant women, pomegranate is a natural source of folic acid, vitamins, and minerals necessary for the growth of the fetus.
The method of eating also can be different and matter.
Is it better to eat or drink pomegranate?
Again, no universal answer. The pomegranate juice contains amino acids that are still found only in meat and are indispensable for the human body (so if you are a vegetarian and eat exclusively vegetable and dairy foods, then the pomegranate should always be on your table).
Drinking pomegranate juice can be harmful. It is better to drink fresh-squeezed juice in small sips through a straw. The organic acids contained in it are pretty aggressive. Better rinse your mouth with boiled water – this way, you can protect the tooth enamel from destroying under fruit acids.
A large number of seeds eaten can lead to constipation, so be careful.
Your daily dose is one or two ripe pomegranates or a glass of juice.
Take note: in the Caucasus and other countries where pomegranate grows, they serve meat dishes with its juice as it increases gastric acid production and improves the digestion of heavy food.
Is pomegranate high in sugar?
Not. It contains almost no sugar (14g of sugar in 100g) and accelerates metabolism and other metabolic processes in the body (often slowly for type 1 and type 2 diabetes)
Is pomegranate high in potassium?
100% pomegranate juices concentrate potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium in appreciable amounts and have sodium in moderate proportions.
Does pomegranate reduce belly fat?
Pomegranates are ideal for fasting days since 100 g of pulp contains only 62-79 kcal, and 100 ml of pomegranate juice contains 42-65 kcal.
However, it increases the appetite. Remember that it is better to use pomegranate as an aperitif 5-10 minutes before meals.
Who should not drink pomegranate juice?
Patients with peptic ulcers and gastritis mustn’t drink pomegranate juice. It has an increased acidity and irritates the mucous membrane. Low blood pressure – no liquid too.
Pomegranate juice is also harmful to children under three years old – it irritates their delicate stomach lining and can cause allergies. Bigger kids can drink pomegranate juice mixed with still water.
Recipe: Baked eggplant with yogurt and pomegranate sauce (vegetarian)
Difficulty: Easy
Total time: 55 min (preparation – 15 min, cooking – 40 min, serving – 15 min
Ingredients for 4 persons:
- 2 tablespoons
- olive oil extra virgin 80 ml
- fresh oregano chopped, 1 tablespoon
- 1 pomegranate
- chopped fresh oregano (for herbal mixture)
- 1 tablespoon (for herbal mixture)
- lemon zest, 1 tsp (for herbal mixture)
- cumin grain, 1 tsp (for herbal mixture)
- sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon (for herbal mixture)
- salt , 1 tsp (for herbal mixture)
- black pepper, 1 tsp (for herbal mixture)
- milk, 100ml (for the sauce)
- greek yogurt, 125g (for the sauce)
- lemon juice, 15ml (for the sauce)
- extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon (for the sauce)
- 1 garlic clove (for the sauce)
Preheat the oven to 200°C, cut the eggplants lengthwise and make some light cuts in the form of a rhombus and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped oregano and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes until soft, remove from oven and let them cool.
At this time, prepare the homemade creamy sauce. Put the milk in a bowl and add the lemon juice; let it stand for 15 minutes (or until you see that the milk is thick). To make the sauce add there Greek yogurt, minced garlic clove, olive oil, and salt.
To serve, spread the sauce on the surface of the eggplants, add the mixture of chopped herbs and pomegranate seeds. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh lemon thyme and serve.
You can eat pomegranate fresh, make juice, jam, marshmallows, syrups, drinks, wines, ice cream… Real flight of fantasy and a paradise for a cook.
Substitution for pomegranate molasses
Pomegranate molasses is a viscous dark brown liquid, similar to a thick syrup, made from pomegranate fruits. It is used in baking bread for cooking Turkish dishes such as pide, lahmacun, and salad dressings. Pomegranate molasses gives dishes a sour taste. Good for vegans.
Sometimes it is challenging to find pomegranate molasses in the store. But don’t worry, this doesn’t spoil your culinary masterpieces because there are great substitutions: pomegranate seeds, cranberry juice, grenadine, raspberry jam, and lemon juice.
You can also prepare it yourself. It’s a piece of cake:
mix 4 tablespoons of fresh pomegranate juice, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 lime juice, bring to a boil. Then reduce the temperature and cook, stirring, at a slow boil until thickened. When it decreases by 4 times until the liquid is boiled 4 times. Total time: approximately 1 h.
Summing up
Pomegranate has a positive effect on your immunity and health. If you know how to choose a pomegranate, you’re able to protect yourself and your family from infections. Eat it regularly, at least 1 time in 7 days (1 piece for adults and 100 g of seeds for children).
