In the News -
November 2007
How to eat, not wear, your pomegranate
STAR CITY, Ark. - As fresh fruits become more scarce after the first frost,
pomegranates ride to the rescue with their bright red flesh and the sweet, tangy
crunch of their jewel-like seed capsules.
"November is national pomegranate month and a good reminder to take a second
look at a fruit that had a prominent place in Greek myths about the seasons,"
said Jane Newton, Lincoln County agent for the University of Arkansas
Cooperative Extension Service. "Known as one of the earliest cultivated fruits,
possibly as far back as 2000 B.C."
The pomegranate’s beauty is more than skin deep. Pomegranates provide 16
percent of an adult’s daily
vitamin C requirement and are a good
source of
pantothenic acid,
potassium, and
polyphenols - some of the most powerful
of the antioxidants. The edible fruit from one
medium pomegranate contains 104 calories, 1.5 g protein, 26.4 g carbohydrates, 9
mg vitamin C and 399 mg potassium.
"When choosing your perfect
pomegranate, the skin should be thin, tough and unbroken, indicating the flavor
is well developed," Newton said. "The ruby fruit we refer to as ‘seeds’ are
called ‘arils’."
"On average, pomegranates contain 600 to more than arils that are
compartmentalized between shiny, tough membranes," she said. "One medium-sized
pomegranate will yield about 3/4 cup of seeds or 1/2 cup of juice."
While some pomegranate fans might enjoy the mess, Newton offers a method to
eating the fruit without wearing it.
Step 1 - Cut off the "crown," then score the outer layer of skin into
sections.
Step 2 - Place the pomegranate in a large bowl of water and break apart the
sections along the score lines. Roll out the arils with your fingers. The arils
will sink to the bottom while the white membrane floats to the top.
Step 3 --Strain out the water. The arils are ready to eat.
Fresh, unopened pomegranates will keep at room temperature (out of direct
sunlight) for 1-2 weeks and should last in the vegetable drawer of your
refrigerator for a month or more. Cut pomegranates should last anywhere from a
couple of days to a week if stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag in your
refrigerator.
Fresh arils placed in an airtight container will keep for a few days in the
refrigerator or tightly sealed in a plastic bag will keep in the freezer for up
to a year.
If you have enough control not to eat them, Newton said the fruits make great
decorations.
"Fresh, whole pomegranates add a creative touch to holiday centerpieces,
wreaths and garlands, on mantels and bookshelves or as place cards at your
table," she said.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of
Agriculture.
November 16, 2007
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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