These days, the harvest of “granadas” or pomegranates is ongoing here in Spain. The season is long, it lasts through the end of the year – and that’s good, because pomegranates are healthy and can be served in many ways. There are reasons why this fruit, which often contains hundreds of ruby red seeds, has accompanied us humans for thousands of years. By the way, pomegranates are a fruit that our male readers in particular should take notice of, if we are to believe the researchers – and they are not talking about the eye-catching shape of the pomegranates, which across cultures and historical eras has been a mythical love symbol.
Pomegranates are not related to apples. The Romans confused us a bit by calling it Pomum granatum which can be loosely translated as “apple with many seeds”. The shape and size of pomegranates may be reminiscent of apples, but the pomegranate is part of a plant family so small that it only includes two species. The other species in the genus is supposed to be found only on an island in the Indian Ocean.
Originally, the pomegranate probably originated in areas that today make up Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It grows in the wild from the Balkans in the west to the Himalayas in the east. Pomegranates spread early over large parts of the world where the climate was appropriate, i.e. tropical and subtropical regions. The heavily branched trees, which can grow over eight meters tall and 200 years old, need lots of sun and heat to bear fruit. The plant has been known in the Middle East, southern Europe, China and North Africa for several thousand years.
Pomegranates are depicted in ancient Egypt and mentioned several times in the Bible. The fruit is in many places associated with fertility and abundance. In Armenia, for example, it is common to use pomegranates at weddings. The bride throws a pomegranate against a wall so that it cracks and the seeds spread. Many seeds are said to provide the bride and groom with many children.
It was the Spaniards who in the 16th century brought pomegranates to the new world. Much can be said about the Spaniards’ conduct in America, but they also brought with them valuable food plants such as the pomegranate to this, for Europeans, new continent. By the way, you can find the pomegranate in the Spanish Coat of Arms. You can read more about it here: Spain’s Coat of Arms explained.
Your own pomegranate tree?
Spain is Europe’s largest pomegranate producer. If you are lucky, you may have a garden with a pomegranate tree or two yourself. By the way, you do not need more than one tree to get fruit, because the pomegranate tree is self-pollinating.
The abundant supply of fruit allows you to buy pomegranates for very little money, especially in local outdoor markets. Good pomegranates should feel heavy in relation to their size. They can be stored for a long time in cool temperatures. Never mind if the skin dries a little and becomes “leathery”.
If you want your own pomegranate tree, it is actually quite easy to get – whether you have ambitions for future fruit harvests or just want a decorative potted plant. You can sow one of the many seeds from a ripe pomegranate – it is best if you remove the jelly-like red pulp before you stick the seed 1-2 cm (about ½ inch) into good potting soil. As soon as the seed germinates, put the pot in a place where the plant will get plenty of sun. You can also propagate pomegranates through growing cuttings. Perhaps you already know someone with a pomegranate tree?
It usually takes 3-5 years before you can expect to harvest fruit on a tree started from seed, but when the tree is about five years old it is considered to be in its prime. From then on you should be getting bountiful harvests.
Granadas on the table
The easiest way to get hold of the sweet, slightly sour seeds is to cut off the stem on the one side and the small “crown” at the opposite end of the fruit. Then divide it into two or four and scoop the seeds out. An ordinary fork is a useful tool here.
Pomegranates can be used for so many things. The seeds are lovely as a decoration on vegetable salads as well as fruit salads. Try pomegranate seeds instead of cranberry jam (lingonberry) for dinner – they do not need sugar or other treatment before serving.
In Indian and Persian food cultures, dried pomegranate seeds are used as spices, but these seeds come from a wild and acidic pomegranate variety – not the type sold in Spanish shops or market stands. You can make a great dessert from pomegranate seeds mixed with freshly squeezed orange juice. Let the seeds soak in the juice for an hour or more, preferably in the fridge.
Food (also) for men
A number of cultures around the world have appreciated pomegranates. Fruit, bark and root have been used medicinally for thousands of years – for gout, cough, bad breath and intestinal worms, just to name a few. In recent years, modern research has also begun to take a serious interest in the fruit.
The pomegranate has earned a reputation as a kind of anti-aging food. It is supposed to be able to lead to lower blood pressure and better cholesterol levels. Researchers in California have fed pomegranate extract to animals from birth, and found that they were more alert in adulthood and had half as much amyloid-A in the brain as compared to the animals in the control group. Amyloid-A is a protein associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants that protect the body’s cells and suppress inflammation. The fruit juice contains a lot of vitamins A, C and E and folate, and it is a good source of vitamin B5 and potassium. But the findings that have so far attracted the most attention are about men’s health.
According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, considered one of the leading cancer treatment hospitals in the world, several clinical studies indicate that consuming a glass of pomegranate juice a day can significantly slow the progression of the disease in men suffering from prostate cancer.
Other research results suggest that eating pomegranate daily can lead to better oxygen supply to the heart muscle and thus be beneficial for people with heart disease.
There is still a lot of research to be done before the experts can conclude on the pomegranate’s effect on our health, but findings so far seem so interesting that it can hardly hurt to feast a little on pomegranate. Besides, it tastes wonderful and looks great – and there are not many side effects. Though, it must be admitted that pomegranates are not exactly a diet food – they contain a lot of fructose which in large quantities and over time can add a few kilos to your body weight.
How do you use pomegranates? Share your comments or a recipe in the comment field below?
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