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Kitchen - Cooking Tip of the Month
 I always get excited this time of year as I think pomegranates are one of the most amazing fruits. They not only are delicious but also have many health benefits. They are a great source of vitamin C, potassium and are high antioxidants. Pomegranates actually contain higher levels of polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins than in most other fruit juices, red wine or green tea.
According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, they are rich in antioxidants and keep LDL cholesterol from oxidizing. In fact, studies at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel determined that the juice of the fruit was found to slow down cholesterol oxidation by almost half, and reduce the retention of LDL. This 'bad' cholesterol forms atherosclerotic lesions, the fatty deposits, which narrow the arteries and lead to heart disease.
In addition, Scientists in Israel have shown that drinking a daily glass of the fruit's juice can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
These are only a few of the great benefits of pomegranates!
Do you usually not buy them? Is it because you don't know how to pick the 'right' one? Or because they are just too difficult to deal with? Well, let's take the mystery out of both of these so you too can benefit:
To pick, look for one that is hard and feels heavy for its size. Don't worry about the color as that tells you about variety verses quality. Pick the biggest ones as they have the most juice. Avoid ones that have bruises and cracks.
To remove the seeds, cut the pomegranate in half crosswise. Place the cut side down in a bowl. With the back of a spoon, hit the backside of the fruit (all over) fairly hard. The seeds will drop out into the bowl. (When I learned this trick, I was amazed how easily they actually fall out!) You might get some splashes from the juice so watch out for white clothes as they tend to stain. I usually place the bowl in the sink while I'm doing it.
To store, place the seeds in a jar. They will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days or up to 3 months in the freezer. (I just use a fork to get some of the frozen ones out of the jar.)
I love to sprinkle the seeds over a green salad right before serving. It looks beautiful and adds great taste to any salad.
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