Why Pomegranates Have Had a Long Career as a Special Food
Is there a fruit prettier than the pomegranate? And it’s no surprise that they’ve had such a long career as a special food, as they are nutritional powerhouses and one of the diabetic’s best friends. They contain calcium, potassium, and iron, plus compounds known as phytonutrients that help the body protect against heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.
According to pomegranates.org, the powerful antioxidants in the fruit also help slow aging and neutralize almost twice as many free radicals as red wine and seven times as many as green tea. As a further benefit, researchers say the crunchy seeds help flush fats from the digestive tract.
Besides this fruit’s seeds (aka arils) being a delectable snacking experience, there are about a million other delicious uses for these seeds. A few come to mind:
They’re in season during the holidays, so now’s the time to stock up! We’re seeing them on sale in our area at 2 for $3—a very good buy. My thought is to buy several every week until their season is over. I intend to de-seed them and freeze the seeds in zippered plastic freezer bags, squashed flat so they’ll stack well in the freezer. This way we can enjoy the blessings of pomegranates all year long.
Melissa Breyer of Care2 (www.care2.com) shared a wonderful recipe for using pomegranates. This is a white bean soup with a pomegranate salsa-type garnish. The thick smooth bean soup is topped with the bright bracing tang and crunch of pomegranate seeds. It’s delicious!
Melissa also shared the cleanest and easiest way to remove pomegranate seeds. She says to start by cutting off the crown, then deeply scoring fruit into several sections. Pull each section apart and submerge a section at a time in a bowl of cool water; roll the seeds out with you fingers. When you have removed all the seeds, drain the water out in a colander. (I like to pour this water into a glass and drink it. It contains a little pomegranate juice that shouldn’t be wasted.)
SOUP
2 cups dried, white cannelloni beans (OR skip this step by using canned beans, well drained)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions minced
4 stalks celery finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 cups cold water
GARNISH
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (see notes)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezedd lime juice
1 shallot minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup seeds of pomegranate
1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
Directions:
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According to pomegranates.org, the powerful antioxidants in the fruit also help slow aging and neutralize almost twice as many free radicals as red wine and seven times as many as green tea. As a further benefit, researchers say the crunchy seeds help flush fats from the digestive tract.
Besides this fruit’s seeds (aka arils) being a delectable snacking experience, there are about a million other delicious uses for these seeds. A few come to mind:
- mix them with beets and tender greens for a tasty and pretty salad
- include them in guacamole
- garnish a savory rice pilaf with them
- make pomegranate syrup for ice cream or pancakes
- add them to your bowl of oatmeal for extra vitamins and a flavor spark
- create a yogurt parfait with pomegranate seeds, berries and granola
- peel and dice fresh oranges then sprinkle with the seeds and chopped fresh mint for a beautiful winter citrus salad
- create another fruit salad with orange segments, grapefruit segments, bananas, apples, berries, and pomegranate seeds
- add them to your sodas and punch
- top ice cream or frozen yogurt for dessert
- sprinkle the seeds over sautéed chicken breasts
- as an appetizer, make goat cheese crostini and sprinkle the arils on top
- stir the seeds into wild rice or wild and brown rice along with chopped chives, parsley and chopped nuts for a beautiful and healthy pilaf-style rice dish
- add a twist to quinoa Tabouleh salad using pomegranate seeds instead of tomatoes
They’re in season during the holidays, so now’s the time to stock up! We’re seeing them on sale in our area at 2 for $3—a very good buy. My thought is to buy several every week until their season is over. I intend to de-seed them and freeze the seeds in zippered plastic freezer bags, squashed flat so they’ll stack well in the freezer. This way we can enjoy the blessings of pomegranates all year long.
Melissa Breyer of Care2 (www.care2.com) shared a wonderful recipe for using pomegranates. This is a white bean soup with a pomegranate salsa-type garnish. The thick smooth bean soup is topped with the bright bracing tang and crunch of pomegranate seeds. It’s delicious!
Melissa also shared the cleanest and easiest way to remove pomegranate seeds. She says to start by cutting off the crown, then deeply scoring fruit into several sections. Pull each section apart and submerge a section at a time in a bowl of cool water; roll the seeds out with you fingers. When you have removed all the seeds, drain the water out in a colander. (I like to pour this water into a glass and drink it. It contains a little pomegranate juice that shouldn’t be wasted.)
WHITE BEAN SOUP with POMEGRANATE GARNISH
Ingredients:
SOUP
2 cups dried, white cannelloni beans (OR skip this step by using canned beans, well drained)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions minced
4 stalks celery finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 cups cold water
GARNISH
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (see notes)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezedd lime juice
1 shallot minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup seeds of pomegranate
1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
Directions:
1. Make the beans: Pick through the beans and discard any small pebbles or debris. Place beans in a large pot and cover with 2 to 4 inches of cold water. Let soak overnight and then rinse under running water. Return to the pot and cover with 2 to 4 inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain well and set aside.
2. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Add the cooked beans and 2 cups of water; bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Cool briefly, then using an immersion blender or standard blender, puree until smooth. Return to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
4. For the garnish: In a medium bowl, combine pomegranate molasses, lime juice, and shallot; whisk to combine. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the pomegranate seeds and parsley; toss well.
5. To serve, ladle hot soup into bowls; garnish with a spoonful of the pomegranate salsa in the center of the soup, and drizzle a bit of the olive oil over all.
NOTES: You can buy pomegranate molasses at Middle Eastern stores. Or you can make your own by bringing 3 cups of pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of honey or sugar to a boil, and then simmer until reduced to 1 cup.
2. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Add the cooked beans and 2 cups of water; bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Cool briefly, then using an immersion blender or standard blender, puree until smooth. Return to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
4. For the garnish: In a medium bowl, combine pomegranate molasses, lime juice, and shallot; whisk to combine. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the pomegranate seeds and parsley; toss well.
5. To serve, ladle hot soup into bowls; garnish with a spoonful of the pomegranate salsa in the center of the soup, and drizzle a bit of the olive oil over all.
NOTES: You can buy pomegranate molasses at Middle Eastern stores. Or you can make your own by bringing 3 cups of pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of honey or sugar to a boil, and then simmer until reduced to 1 cup.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Sources:
- www.simplyrecipes.com
- www.thespruceeats.com
- www.flickr.com
- www.foodnetwork.com
- www.jamiegeller.com
Alice Osborne
DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
