Pomegranate; Punica granatum;

A washing line full of diamonds;

Shimmering intensity of the flowers;

The name pomegranate derives from medieval Latin pomum "apple" and granatum "seeded". 

The genus name Punica refers to the Phoenicians, who were active in broadening its cultivation, partly for religious reasons.

Garnet comes from Old French grenat by metathesis, from Medieval Latin granatum, here used in a a different meaning: "of a dark red color". This meaning perhaps originated from pomum granatum because of the color of pomegranate pulp.

The fruit;

The pomegranate, Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.

How to prepare a Pomegranate; cut off the top and the bottom. Break apart; 

Look at these wonderfully, glistening seed casings.

After opening the pomegranate by scoring it with a knife and breaking it open, the arils (seed casings) are separated from the peel and internal white pulp membranes. Separating the red arils is easier in a bowl of water, because the arils sink and the inedible pulp floats.  

...like this, in a bowl of water, you can then just scoop off the bitter pulp membranes.

The arils ready to be used, eaten, savored, don't they look absolutely brilliant, so good!

♥

The Pomegranate;


Pick me now, 
flecked with ruby red gems
sitting row upon row, 
Seductive, 
scented by a thousand suns
in plentitude and exuberance.  

©Ts

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 polyphenols, such as tannins and falconoid.
Pomegranate’s fiber  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.

The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the hydrolyzable tannins called ellagitannins formed when ellagic acid binds with a carbohydrate. Punicalagins are tannins with free-radical scavenging properties in laboratory experiments. Punicalagins are absorbed into the human body and  have dietary value as antioxidants.  During intestinal metabolism by bacteria, ellagitannins and punicalagins are converted to urolithins which have unknown biological activity in vivo. Other phytochemicals include polyphenolic catechins, gallocatechins, and anthocyanins, such as prodelphinidins, delphinidin, cyanidin, and pelargonidin. The ORAC (antioxidant capacity) of pomegranate juice was measured at 2,860 units per 100 grams.

More facts about Punica granatum please click here

♥


DREAM on, for dreams are sweet:
    Do not awaken!
Dream on, and at thy feet
    Pomegranates shall be shaken.

Who likeneth the youth
    Of life to morning?
'Tis like the night in truth,
    Rose-coloured dreams adorning.

The wind is soft above,
    The shadows umber.
(There is a dream called Love.)
    Take thou the fullest slumber!

In Lethe's soothing stream,
    Thy thirst thou slakest.
Sleep, sleep; 't is sweet to dream.
    Oh, weep when thou awakest!
Paul Laurence Dunbar

Believe it or not:

Distant hills look green.  

©Ts