The pomegranate fruits are shape nearly round, crowned at the base by prominent calyx, which is surrounded by a tough, leathery rind - (skin of the fruit). The color of the rind vaies between cultivars as yellow, light or deep pink, or rich red. The segmented interior is separated by thin membranous walls and white spongy tissue. Each segments are packed with transparent sacs wich are filled with tart, flavorful, fleshy and juicy pulp(aril). The color of these sacs varies between cultivars as red, pink or white, and a white or red seed will be at the center of each sacs. These seeds itself represents almost 52 percentage of the total weight of the fruit.
Pomegranate fruits become mature(ripe) between 5 to 7 months after bloom, and the mature fruits has long shelf storage life as the apples.
These are table fruits and can be eaten raw. Generally the fruit is deeply scored three or four times vertically and then can be easily broken apart; now the clusters of juice sacs can be lifted out from the rind and eaten at hand.
The juice made from the fruit is a very popular beverage. Adding 7 1/2 cups of sugar and one bottle of liquid pectin for every four cups of pomegranate juice results pomegranate jelly. The juice is sometime used as sauce by making it as thick sirup. The juice is also made into grenadine for the use in mixed drinks. A spice also made by putting the juice-sacs into dry in the sun for about 10 to 15 days.
The pomegranate is native to Iran and the sorroundings of Himalayas in northern India; and are now being cultivated through out the world.
Medicinal uses:
A decoction is taken from the pomegranate flowers, are gargled to relieve oral and throat inflammation.
