Pomegrantes.

I love pomegrantes. They are by far my favorite fruit! These juicy little packets of goodness can brighten up my day like nothing else. Here in Canada they come into season in the grocery stores in September, and typically last until February, so I try to get my fill while I can.

Pomegrantes originated in Asia, and were brought to the Mediterranian regions, which explains why they appear so often in symbolism and stories, everywhere from Ancient Greece, to the Islamic cultures, to China. One of the most famous stories involving the pomegrante is the myth of Persephone and Hades.  

In the Greek myth, Persephone (daughter of Demeter, goddess of harvest and seasons) is kidnapped by the god of the underworld (Hades) to be his wife. Demeter was so distressed by the loss of her daughter, that she stopped attending to the earth, and all the plants died. Hades was commanded to give Persephone back so the world wouldn't end, but surprise! There was apparently some rule that once you ate or drank the food in the underworld, you weren't allowed to leave. Since Persephone ate some pomegrante seeds, she was forced to return to the underworld for a few months every year as penance, and every year Demeter mourns the loss until Persephone returns. And that, children, is why we have seasons.

Sweet mana from heaven!

When selecting a pomegrante in the store, you want to gently sqeeze them in your hands. If it feels soft, the arils (fancy term for the seeds) around the outside will probably be too ripe. You want to look for a nice, firm, heavy fruit. (The heavier it is, the more juice there is!)

In the interest of not reinventing the wheel, if you need awesome instructions on how to clean your pomegrantes, I will send you to a post by my best friend on how to do so. (Since I was the one who taught her, I don't feel bad about shirking in the instructions department).