Red Juice

Recently I had visited one of this Parisian markets and was surprised as I saw the price for pomegranates. The woman selling this fruits in the market explained "The price is not high, pomegranates are healthy, everyone knows tat...". 

Looking it up, I found out that there had been some limited studies on hypertensive patients who have been given the juice of pomegranate and these studies are showing that is reduces systolic blood pressure by inhibiting serum angiotensin - converting enzymes. Juice consumption may also inhibit viral infections while pomegranate extracts have antibacterial effects against dental plaque.

However the pomegranate remains a favored treat on Rosh Hashanah since thousands of years. Its genetic origins lie in Iran and Iraq and another big ancient guy, the Prophet Muhammad himself recommended them for good health. During my times in different Middle Eastern countries I been had frequently been offered pomegranates. Well, I found them a way too awkward to eat because of these seeds moving around my mouth, so I forgot about them. 

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Luckily this fruit grows wild in my the garden.I harvest some kilos, store them in a cool room and sometimes forget about them. Their skin can get dry and hard outside, but inside they are still very juicy. A very handy the fruit because is lasting very long, without refrigerator and any special precautions, a very "maintenance-free" food source. And the juice is really delicious!

Actually it was about to have this scraggly bush for practical reasons: he is robust and a good wind-barrier with nice light red blossoms in the late spring. I never cared about the fruits as much as I do for the cherries, apricots and olives, so I just left them for to the birds to eat. So at home I looked what was happen to my pomegranates. They were laying in the cellar. As I felt their hard skin I thought they are finished. 

You can find pomegranates in the South of France, Italy and Spain growing wild. You can simply harvest and store them in a dark,dry and cool place, thats all. 

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