Knife Skills #3: Pomegranates

Pomegranates are one of the superfoods of the moment. This is mainly due to their powerful antioxidant effects.

Pomegranates are being studied for their effects on many conditions including:


- prostate cancer
- nerve damage and lung damage due to chemotherapy
- increasing sperm counts
- preventing infections
- preventing diabetes
- preventing gingivitis
- lowering blood pressure
- sports recovery after a hard workout

...I could go on.






Of course, many of these studies are in animals and use concentrated extracts. Others show real promise in humans by drinking the juice or eating the arils (the little red seeds) alone. More studies are definitely needed before I can give any solid recommendation to use pomegranates for the conditions above. One thing is for sure, though - you've got nothing to lose by adding them to your diet.

Next question: how do you get the edible arils out without squirting red juice everywhere or wrestling  with the fruit in an attempt to peel it?

Check out the video Knife Skills #3: Pomegranates

Try pomegranate arils:
- eat just as they are!
- as a garnish on a salad
- dipped in chocolate to make a bark
- in a smoothie
- on ice cream or frozen yogurt
- on cereal
- on pancakes
- make homemade fruit salsa


Try these ingredients made with pomegranate:
pomegranate molasses: a very tart-sweet syrup, made from concentrated pomegranate juice. It's used most often in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean cuisine.
        Uses:
           - in salad dressing or drizzled over a salad
           - drizzled over soups, grain dishes, hummus/dips, or grilled vegetables and meat
           - great in marinades

pomegranate juice: Pom brand pomegranate juice is ubiquitous in grocery stores now. Beware, though, juice is a concentrated, (natural) sugary beverage that is most healthy used as an ingredient, flavoring in food, sports recovery drink or a rare treat. As a rule, it's generally better to drink water and eat fruit rather than drink fruit juice regularly.
         Uses:
             - in vinaigrette salad dressings
             - in marinades
             - in smoothies or cocktails