Contributed by Angela Cleveland

The pomegranate has always been a fruit of wonder for me. On the outside, it has a richly coloured, tough, dry, skin, and on the inside, there is a combination of seeds with sweet juicy flesh (called the arils) all surrounded by a thin whitish membrane. Depending on your time frame and state of mind, picking the seeds from the membrane can be quite an enjoyable task. As a child, I don't know which I enjoyed more, carefully removing each seed from the membrane or eating my harvest!

The pomegranate is one of the oldest cultivated fruits. It has a rich history beginning with Greek mythology and Biblical times. This fascinating fruit is a symbol of health, fertility, and rebirth and is believed by many to have mystical healing powers. Medicinally, the pomegranate has more polyphenol antioxidants (believed to reduce cancer rates) than cranberry juice, red wine, blueberry juice, orange juice or even green tea.

So what do we do with these little fruits? While some people use the pomegranate for table decorations, I prefer to eat them. To enjoy these delightful treats, first, slice the pomegranate in half by cutting through the skin with a sharp knife. Inside, you will find the little seeds. These little seeds, and their sweet juicy exterior, can be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of ways.

If you are not ready to cook with the seeds right away, they can be stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag in your refrigerator for up to one week. To store whole pomegranates, simply keep them in your refrigerator (keeping them in the crisper works best) or leave them on your counter (out of direct sunlight). Pomegranates left in your refrigerator will last up to four weeks, but those left out will only last one week.

Pomegranates can also be frozen and saved for future dishes. To freeze the seeds, remove them from the rind and membrane. Store them in a freezer bag for up to one year.

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