POMEGRANATE

Pomegranate:
The pomegranate pron.:Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.
Native to the area of modern day Iran (especially Neyriz and Iraq, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as well as the Himalayas in Northern India. Today, it is widely cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, the Middle East, northern Africa and tropical Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the drier parts of southeast Asia. Introduced into Latin America and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, pomegranate is also cultivated in parts of California and Arizona.In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to February. In the Southern Hemisphere, the pomegranate is in season from March to May.
The pomegranate has been mentioned in many ancient texts, notably the Book of Exodus, the Homeric Hymns and the Quran. In recent years, it has become more common in the commercial markets of North America and the Western Hemisphere.
Pomegranates are used in cooking, baking, juices, smoothies and alcoholic beverages, such as Martinis and wine.

Description:
The Punica granatum leaves are opposite or sub-opposite, glossy, narrow oblong, entire, 3–7 cm long and 2 cm broad. The flowers are bright red, 3 cm in diameter, with four to five petals (often more on cultivated plants). Some fruitless varieties are grown for the flowers alone. The edible fruit is a berry and is between a lemon and a grapefruit in size, 5–12 cm in diameter with a rounded hexagonal shape, and has thick reddish skin. The exact number of seeds in a pomegranate can vary from 200 to about 1400 seeds, contrary to some beliefs that all pomegranates have exactly the same number of seeds.[8] Each seed has a surrounding water-laden pulp—the edible aril—ranging in color from white to deep red or purple. The seeds are embedded in a white, spongy, astringent pulp

Varieties:
Punica granatum nana is a dwarf variety of Punica granatum popularly planted as an ornamental plant in gardens and larger containers, and used as a bonsai specimen tree. It could well be a wild form with a distinct origin. The only other species in the genus Punica is the Socotran pomegranate (Punica protopunica), which is endemic to the island of Socotra. It differs in having pink (not red) flowers and smaller, less sweet fruit.

Nutrients and phytochemicals:
Pomegranate aril juice provides about 16% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement per 100 ml serving, and is a good source of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), potassium and natural phenols, such as ellagitannins and flavonoids. Pomegranates are listed as high-fiber in some charts of nutritional value. That fiber, however, is entirely contained in the edible seeds which also supply unsaturated oils. People who choose to discard the seeds forfeit nutritional benefits conveyed by the seed fiber, oils and micronutrients.[37][38]

How to Eat Organic Pomegranate:
The pomegranate is an intricate fruit containing a maze of seeds inside of inedible flesh that’s covered in a bark-like skin. Still, there is an easy way to get to all those nutritious,sweet and juicy seeds.
    Cut off the crown (you’ll see it) and throw it away or better yet use it for compost.
    Score and slice the rind all around, but don’t cut the rind all the way through.
    Soak the pomegranate face down in cold water for about ten minutes.
    While the pomegranate is still in the bowl of water, break apart the scored rinds, and remove the seeds from the flesh (the seeds will sink to the bottom of your bowl).
    Remove the rind and membrane from the bowl with a sieve or spoon.
    Drain the seeds with a colander and pat dry with a paper towel.
To get the most out of an organic pomegranate, eat the seeds while they’re at their freshest and juiciest, and at the peak of their medicinal powers.
Organic Pomegranate Seeds
Some people suck the juice out and spit out the seed. It is a personal choice but most of the beneficial fiber comes from the seed so it is beneficial to eat it. Organic pomegranate seeds are bursting with a delicious, pleasant, slightly acidic flavor that has all the sweetness of cranberries without the tartness.
I suggest sprinkling the seeds on a green salad or a fruit salad for a surprising taste sensation. You can add them to any recipe that calls for fruit or seeds, too. Pomegranates are often used in Middle Eastern dishes and make a great cranberry-style sauce.
Organic pomegranate seeds are also perfectly delicious eaten all by themselves.

Health Benefits of Organic Pomegranates:Packed with antioxidants equal to those in green tea and red wine, and especially loaded with Vitamin C and Potassium, pomegranates are said to help:
    Lower Risk of Heart Disease
    Lower Risk of Cancer, Especially Prostate and Breast
    Lessen Symptoms of Diarrhea
    Reduce Cholesterol
    Control Your Weight
    Fight Cell Damage
Pomegranates are one of the few fruits whose juice is just as beneficial as its fruit or seeds. The peel, which you can’t eat, contains the most antioxidants, and they are released in abundance when the fruit is squeezed for juicing.
Note: Eating pomegranates might interfere with certain medications in the same way that grapefruit juice does. Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about any drug interactions.
Pomegranate’s wine-red juice will stain your fingers, clothes, and countertops! Be careful with these.