Wonderful Pomegranate Season Gets Under Way for Displays Through January
POM Wonderful’s pomegranate harvest is currently under way, which means that grocers can showcase the seasonal fruit in stores from now until January. With 18,000 acres of Wonderful variety pomegranates, this year’s harvest will be the largest in POM Wonderful’s history, according to the Los Angeles-based grower, which notes that consumers can take advantage of the festive favorite’s culinary versatility and striking red color to add a special touch to fall and holiday recipes and decorations.
POM Wonderful exclusively grows the Wonderful variety of pomegranate, unique among other varieties of the fruit for its sweet taste, ruby-red arils (seed surrounded by a juice sac) and nutritional value. Wonderful pomegranates are high in polyphenol antioxidants, which help protect the body against free radicals, unstable molecules that damage the body and can lead to diseases such as heart disease and cancer. The variety is also a rich source of vitamin C, a good source of potassium and high in fiber. Wonderful pomegranates additionally contain vitamin K and iron.
According to POM Wonderful, the pomegranate is a versatile fruit with many uses, providing its distinct flavor and unique health benefits to food and drink recipes. Arils can be tossed in salads, stirred into yogurt, sprinkled over cereal, used to garnish cocktails or enjoyed on their own as a healthy snack. Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice is ideal for glazes, cocktails and marinades.
To help consumers select pomegranates, the company advises retailers to post signage advising to do so by weight vs. color, since the heavier the pomegranates are, the more juice they contain. Pomegranates are only picked when they’re perfectly ripe on the inside, and the outside of a ripe pomegranate can vary from pink to a deep ruby red. A fresh pomegranate’s deep-crimson color lends itself to seasonal decorations and arrangements. For decorating, select pomegranates by color, size and general appearance.
Unopened pomegranates can last up to one month on the counter or two months in the refrigerator. Fresh arils can last two weeks in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator, and frozen arils can last for many months in the freezer.
For more recipe ideas and more information, visit www.pomwonderful.com.
POM Wonderful exclusively grows the Wonderful variety of pomegranate, unique among other varieties of the fruit for its sweet taste, ruby-red arils (seed surrounded by a juice sac) and nutritional value. Wonderful pomegranates are high in polyphenol antioxidants, which help protect the body against free radicals, unstable molecules that damage the body and can lead to diseases such as heart disease and cancer. The variety is also a rich source of vitamin C, a good source of potassium and high in fiber. Wonderful pomegranates additionally contain vitamin K and iron.
According to POM Wonderful, the pomegranate is a versatile fruit with many uses, providing its distinct flavor and unique health benefits to food and drink recipes. Arils can be tossed in salads, stirred into yogurt, sprinkled over cereal, used to garnish cocktails or enjoyed on their own as a healthy snack. Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice is ideal for glazes, cocktails and marinades.
To help consumers select pomegranates, the company advises retailers to post signage advising to do so by weight vs. color, since the heavier the pomegranates are, the more juice they contain. Pomegranates are only picked when they’re perfectly ripe on the inside, and the outside of a ripe pomegranate can vary from pink to a deep ruby red. A fresh pomegranate’s deep-crimson color lends itself to seasonal decorations and arrangements. For decorating, select pomegranates by color, size and general appearance.
Unopened pomegranates can last up to one month on the counter or two months in the refrigerator. Fresh arils can last two weeks in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator, and frozen arils can last for many months in the freezer.
For more recipe ideas and more information, visit www.pomwonderful.com.