All your childhood you might have experienced your grandparents encouraging you to eat pomegranate for its benefit. Pomegranate may give a threatening effect, but it is worth breaking the tough skin to obtain the juicy, reddish seeds because it consists of numerous health benefits. They are among the healthiest fruits on Earth that have several benefits for your body and lower the risk of various diseases. You can use a punch of flavor to everything such as salad, juice, and sauce to add more sweetness to the food. So to clear all your confusion on pomegranate, let’s see its history, benefits, and how you can include it in your diet. 

What is a pomegranate fruit? 

It is best known for the arils that are stored inside the leathery red rind. Pomegranate fruit is one of the world’s most ancient fruit that is native from  Iran to the Himalayas in India and then expanded to the other parts of countries Afghanistan, China, Arabia, and tropical parts of Africa.  This fruit was featured in Egyptian mythology and art and it was carried by this dessert caravans for the thirst-quenching juice. 

Pomegranate fruit has an exotic appearance and seed clusters.  Moreover, it was a traditional representation of fertility. 

It is categorized as a berry and it’s about 5 to 12 cm in diameter (2 to 5 inches).  It looks like a red, and round fruit similar to a red apple with a flower-shaped stem.  Skin is thick with hundreds of edible seeds called arils surrounded by red juicy seeds. The edible parts of the fruit are the seeds and arils that can be eaten raw or processed as pomegranate juice. 

Benefits of Pomegranate

• The arils of Pomegranates are loaded with plenty of nutrients. And it is a great addition to your daily recommended serving of fruit. A ½ cup serving offers, 72 calories, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 89 grams sugar, 9-milligram vitamin C, and 3 grams of protein.  
• This fruit is rich in protective compounds and has antioxidants properties. This helps in protecting the cells from damage, and it reduces the risk of heart disease. According to a study in 2013, consuming 150 ml of Pomegranate juice every day for two weeks will lower the blood pressure of patients who have high blood pressure. Drinking pomegranate juice may improve blood flow to the heart in patients. 
• They may have anti-inflammatory properties, and the antioxidants in the fruit, have three times higher than red wine and green tea. One of the leading drivers of many serious diseases is Chronic inflammation, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and obesity. Pomegranates have anti-inflammatory properties to reduce them. Pomegranate is excellent for your diet to reduce inflammation in your body while preventing it from cancers like the breast. 

How to select the best pomegranate? 

When choosing a pomegranate, choose one with a deep red color. Look for blemish-free skin, glossy, and scratch it gently. Make sure that it is soft and easy to scratch so that it’s ripe. A Pomegranate with a square off circle shape means the seed inside the fruit has reached its juiciest potential. Do not keep the fruit in direct sunlight, instead, keep it in a cool or dry place, or store it in your refrigerator for up to two months. 

Once you crack open the skin, keep them in the refrigerator and eat it within five days. 

Pomegranate juice recipes

Ingredients 

• 1 small knife
• 2 bowls 
• 1 dark-colored kitchen towel 
• 2 bowls

How to make

 Make a shallow slit at the top of the fruit around the crown, and cut all the way around the top of the rind creating a shallow circle. Don’t push the knife in too deep. Pull the crown of the pomegranate to reveal the inner seeds. Turn the fruit and repeat the process creating a narrow slit in the rind by cutting around the base of the fruit. Pull the bottom off of the fruit. Turn the pomegranate back and you will see six strips of pith around the edges. Cut them in the sides of the rind from the top of the fruit to the bottom. 

Pull the fruit apart and you will have 8 sections with fully exposed seeds. Lose the seeds and place them into a clean bowl. Take a dark-colored towel and clean up any juice that escapes from the seeds. And stain the pomegranate juice to stain. You will have a bowl full of pomegranate juice, discard the rind and pith. 

Place the pomegranate seeds in the blender. Pulse the seeds a few times to break them and release the juice. don’t blend them for a long time. Use a mesh strainer and strain the liquid. Use the back of the spoon to gently push against the pomegranate pulp and extract the juice as much as possible. 

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