Ancient Taste: The Pomegranate

Many of us were taught the story that Eve tempted Adam with an apple. Actually, many biblical translation scholars now believe it's more likely that Adam fell for a pomegranate. Mentioned many times in the Bible and other ancient works, the pomegranate is perhaps the world's oldest fruit. Throughout the ages, the pomegranate symbolized different things to different people: the richness of experience, material wealth, sweetness, royal favor, tartness, hidden depths, the favor of the gods, healthy sexuality, forbidden sexuality, and motherhood. To many, the pomegranate's combination of sweet layer, tart layer, juice and seeds represented a microcosm of the universe.

Pomegranates are grown throughout the Mediterranean from Iran to the Himalayan Mountains. California and Arizona-grown pomegranates are readily available throughout the U.S., but many consumers pass them by because they think pomegranates are difficult to prepare and serve. Well, it does take a little work to enjoy a pomegranate. But it's worth it in the end.

Availability: Fresh pomegranates are available between September and December. Canned and bottled juice and pomegranate molasses are available year-round in Middle-Eastern shops. Try pomegranate molasses as an ingredient in barbecue sauce or salad dressing.

What to look for: Heavy-feeling pomegranates the size of baseballs. The skin should be leathery with splotches of dark red or dark pink and, possibly, some brown splotches. There should be no cracks or splits. Avoid buying dusty or wrinkled looking fruits or fruits that rattle when you shake them-they are as dry as they look and sound.

How to store: Pomegranates only last a few days at room temperature. You can store them up to three weeks in the fridge. The seeds freeze well.

How to prepare: It's the seeds that are most prized. The reddish pulp has a sweet-tart flavor. Discard the membranes and pith.

The colander method: Put a colander in a large bowl and fill with water. Slice off one end of the pomegranate. Lightly score the rind vertically from top to bottom in several places. Carefully break the sections apart. Pry out the seeds with your fingers. Remove the thin membranes from around the seeds. The seeds and pulp will sink in the water and the rind, pith and membranes will float to the top.

The reamer method: Cut the fruit in half. Use a citrus reamer to ream out the juice.

Eating: The seeds can be munched on as they are or you can add them to salads. The pulp makes an interesting addition to fruit salads and smoothies. You can also make juice by blending the seeds in a food processor or blender and straining through cheesecloth or a sieve. A baseball-sized pomegranate will yield about 3/4 cup of seeds or 1/2 cup of juice. The juice is light tasting and a pretty color; it can be used to make jellies, curds, sherbets, sorbets and syrups. It can be used in place of sugar in many cake recipes.

Warning: Pomegranate seeds and juice will stain. Lemon wedges are great for removing the stains from your fingers. If you get pomegranate juice on your shirt, pretend that you intended to create new dust rags.

Medicinal Uses: The juice and the pulp are folk remedies for sore throats, joint inflammation, emotional depression, and grief. Nutritionists tout pomegranates as being high in antioxidants. Incidentally, pomegranate syrup used to give Grenadine syrup its color. Due to the cost of producing pomegranate syrup, Grenadine is now made with food coloring instead.

Thank you to the Pomegranate Council, Judah Kosinsky, and Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy for information contained in this article.

10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook. The Pomegranate Council disseminated this recipe.

• 1/4 TSP Lemon zest
• 1 TBSP plus 1 TSP lemon juice
• 1 1/4 TSP shallots, finely chopped
• 1/8 TSP comino (cumin), ground
• 1/8 TSP sea salt
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 4 thick strips of bacon, cooked
• 5 ounces baby spinach leaves, uncooked
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2/3 cup daikon radish, julienned or chopped

Use a whisk to blend together the lemon zest, lemon juice, shallots, comino (cumin) and salt. Whisk in the olive oil. Put to one side.

Cook bacon in a frying pan until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and put in fridge to cool. Toss spinach leaves, cooled bacon, pomegranate seeds and the radish with the dressing you prepared first.

Variations: Julienned cooked ham instead of bacon or skip the meat altogether and add bits of another fruit.

Katharine Holden is a member of Hampden Park Co-op and lives in St. Anthony Park. Her dog liked a taste of pomegranate pulp but her cat tried to bury it.