POMEGRANATE

This fruit usually ranges in size from an orange to a large grapefruit. It has a leathery skin that must be peeled to reveal the hundreds of tiny red seeds. The seeds are entirely edible, crunchy, sweet and berry-like in flavor. Make wonderful syrups, sauces and juice, or may be combined with other fresh fruits for exciting compotes. Rich in potassium.

Every pomegranate is composed of exactly 840 seeds, each surrounded by a sac of sweet tart juice contained by a thin skin. The seeds are compacted in a layer resembling honeycomb around the core. The layers of seeds are separated by paper-thin white membranes, which are bitter to the tongue. The inner membranes and rind are not generally eaten due to high tannic acid content, but they are useful as a skin wash.