Pomegranates Are Stunning Stars of the Autumn Garden
When many flowers are beginning to disappear, the bright red fruit of the pomegranate tree adds a burst of color to a flower bed. I found this tree in my neighbor's flower garden.
 |
| Pomegranates on the Tree, © B. Radisavljevic |
I only wish I'd been around with my camera when this pomegranate tree was in bloom. I've never seen it blooming. I must have been too busy to walk in that direction during spring. I'll make a point of going next spring, God willing. I'm sure it will be a show worth seeing.
I did find this photo of a pomegranate blossom on
Pixabay. It shows me what I missed. Imagine a tree filled with these flowers! You can see one of the forming fruits peeking out beneath a leaf a bit higher than the flower.
 |
| Pomegranate Flower Image Courtesy of Pixabay |
Here's how the tree looks in the garden among the flowers. I believe those are roses below it.
 |
| Pomegranate Tree in a Garden, © B. Radisavljevic |
Pomegranates Make Lovely Tree Ornaments
As I gazed at the tree, the pomegranate fruits looked like Christmas tree ornaments. I decided to put some on Zazzle ornaments. They come in many styles and shapes. You can get large ceramic ones as hearts, squares, circles, or ovals -- the only ceramic shapes I recommend. You can also get smaller premium ornaments with metal edges, like this one. (Also available as square.)
These ornaments from Amazon feature open pomegranates that display their delicious seeds. Even the seed color is red to contrast with the green of the trees.
Pomegranates Are Tasty and Healthy Fruits
Pomegranate seeds (also known as arils) are packed with nutrients. Just one cup contains 7 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. They are also good sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folate, and potassium. They contain powerful antioxidants, as well.
If that's not enough, they also fight inflammation in the body and may help defend the body against breast and prostate cancer. That's just the beginning of the pomegranate's virtues as a nutrient. Read more about the healthful effects of eating pomegranates at
Twelve Health Benefits of Pomegranate in the
Healthlines Newsletter.
Of course, to get the health benefits, one has to actually consume the pomegranate arils. They are tasty, tart and sweet together. The reason more people don't eat pomegranates is that they can be expensive if you don't have a tree, and they aren't the easiest fruit to eat. All the tasty nutritious arils are buried in a tough bitter membrane and it is hard to remove them by hand. I just discovered there is a better way to get at them instead of digging them out while staining your fingers with that lovely red color. There is a handy tool for getting them loose.
Some people still think that's too much work, so they just buy pomegranate juice. It's also packed with nutrients and phytochemicals your body needs, but you can't get the fiber from the juice. This book will tell you more about why pomegranates are considered by some to be so useful in wellness.
Do You Eat Pomegranates?
If you do eat pomegranates, do you dig the seeds out by hand, use a tool, or have a different method of getting them loose? If you don't eat them, what is the main reason why you don't? Have you tried them and not enjoyed their taste? Or does it just seem like too much work to eat them? Do you eat or drink them in products such as juice or
jelly? I drink a white tea in which pomegranate extract is one of the ingredients used to add flavor.
Of course there's more one can do with pomegranates than eating the seeds or drinking juice or tea. This book celebrates the pomegranate and contains seventy different recipes that include it. I'd like to try the syrup and some of the main dish recipes.
In addition to explaining how to use the seeds or juice them, the book also illuminates the cultural history of the pomegranate, which has been prized since Biblical times. Some scholars believe this is the forbidden fruit Eve ate, but some others believe she ate a fig or apricot. Apples didn't grow in the Middle East that far back in time.
Do you have a favorite pomegranate recipe? How do you most enjoy getting your pomegranate flavor? Have you ever had a pomegranate tree in your yard?
***
