red as blood,
red as the sky when
the sunset sets it on fire.

shining like diamonds,
little seeds of hope in the
large, large, world.

French for pomegranate
is grenade
a little bomb that goes off
a burst of flavor in your mouth, a splash of hope in your soul

(An extract from pomegranate seeds by Carmen Reed)

A peaceful pleasure surrounds you as you stroll through the quiet pomegranate orchard at Ganico whilst the grasses play in the wind and Olive, one of the beloved residents greets you enthusiastically.

Quite a marvel are these beauties to behold as they radiate warmth in the sunlight. Farming pomegranates is not for the impatient, as the shrub-like trees take up to 5 years before the first harvest.  And then there’s all sorts of challenges to contend with before all one’s hard word is rewarded.

But how wonderful, after a long wait, to open the first ripe fruit and behold a bedazzling glistening of blood red jewels bursting with goodness and vitality!

So versatile are these fruits. Jewels make for nutritious snacks, or garnishes to savoury or sweet dishes.  The sweet, tangy juice can be extracted to create all sorts of delicious reductions, glazes, drizzles and more.  Once the juice is extracted, the seeds can be dried and toasted and added to crunchy treats like breakfast or granola bars and even the skins can be hydrated and used in powder form to boost smoothies or other creations.

Yes, with every mouthful all your senses enjoy an injection of deliciousness and goodness.

No wonder Pomegranates are called a Super Food!

I’ve had such a great two weeks experimenting with what I think may be my new favorite fruit…  Having a sweet tooth, most of my experiments involved sweet treats but I’m excited to start testing out savoury dishes soon…will keep you posted!

I am really astounded that so much can be made with this amazing fruit.

I hope you’re rushing over to Ganico Organic Pomegranate Farm right now to pick up some of these treasures!