Ah, we love the crisp sound of cracking open a pomegranate to reveal the most colorful, inner world of the fruit and all it has to offer. Pomegranates are genuinely a part of history – no really, historical as in back to Biblical times! Did you know this special fruit is actually mentioned in the Bible on multiple occasions, throughout various books? It’s true; pomegranates have remained a cherished fruit since nearly the beginning of time. What makes these royal beauties so unique and special?

The rich history behind the consequential pomegranate is absolutely fascinating. There is an ancient Egyptian proverb that states: “eat a pomegranate and visit a bath; your youth will haste back.” From the significance surrounding fertility related to the number of seeds in the fruit to the tradition that the fruit holds 613 seeds in representation to the 613 commandments in the Torah for the Jewish people. Pomegranates are said to have been so much more than fruit for eating – they became part of religious customs. The significance went as far as being designed and woven into the robes of high priests to a drink of significance at royal banquets with meaning behind them. Furthermore, the particular fruit was considered a decoration with its color and crown in temples and was even designed into precious coins back in the ages. Many believe the fruit on the tree of life may actually be the pomegranate.

Regionally, trees that grow the fruit originated back to Iran, India and proceeded onward to the Mediterranean areas of settlement. From there the fruit made its way to vital regions that grow the fruit today – Indonesia, Egypt, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Burma, and Saudi Arabia. Records show that the plantations for these beauties went on to Bermuda on record in 1621. The wave continued, and pomegranates hit the golden state of California in 1769 by Spanish settlers. Today, we see the growth of pomegranates mainly in Central California and Arizona. 

Many people today grow their own pomegranate tree in their yards if the climate permits such as in California. There’s nothing like going out to the yard, picking a good ole’ pom’ and popping the freshly cracked open seeds over a green salad to add the bittersweet flavor and garnish for touch. If you find yourself needing to purchase pomegranates at the store, be sure to look for the fruits with firm and shiny red skin. The crown should be healthy looking, and the outside should give you an idea of the quality on the inside.

Many people question the simplicity of how to best get the seeds out of the pomegranate. Simply slice from the crown down to the core and gently break open. As these chunks come apart, seeds will fall and can be spooned out gently – and yes, there are a lot of them in there! It’s easy to see why ancient religious traditions compared these royal fruits’ many seeds to chances of fertility.

Just as with any commodity we work with, we love to go over the cool facts and nutritional values. We know pomegranates are jam-packed with good qualities from helping to fight infection and protecting the liver. The serious antioxidant power of the fruit can potentially even help protect skin from excessive sun damage, assist with weight loss, act as an anti-inflammatory and are just plain and simple good for the heart and entire digestive system.

Let us leave you with this very controversial idea when it comes to pomegranates – scholars are said to believe it was a pomegranate, not an apple that Eve ate in the Garden of Eden.

Whoa. If we incorporate the facts from this article about how pomegranates date back to early Biblical times and how treasured they were – it does make one wonder…