In late autumn or early winter - just in time for seasonal colds - medicine begins to arrive on the shelves of our markets. These glossy fruits, called pomegranates in our country, are full of scarlet seeds. Their juice is extremely useful not only for colds, but also perfectly treats other diseases. But how to choose the right pomegranate? After all, this is not an apple, which immediately shows whether it is good or bad. And often, having bought a beautiful glossy fruit, we are severely disappointed to find small white and sour seeds in the middle of the void. To protect yourself from a poor-quality purchase, let's learn the intricacies of determining the ripeness of pomegranate by eye.
Vitamin Pomegranate
Contrary to popular belief, pomegranate is not a fruit. With an exploding bomb, the berry is related by the fact that in a ripe form it has a tendency to crack. Then grains pour out from it, which, having fallen on fertile soil, give life to a new tree. This plant has long been known in the Middle East and Egypt, but the Romans came up with the name for it: "pomegranate" means "grainy" in translation. He was popular in the Middle Ages. In ancient times, people not only knew how to choose pomegranates so that they were tasty, but also how to treat them. After all, this berry is considered in the East a symbol of longevity and good health. And the point here is not only that a lot of vitamins are stored in the red glassy pomegranate seeds. Everything in this plant is useful: bark, roots, leaves, flowers and even seeds - a storehouse of essential oils.
Indications for use
Pomegranate contains five rare amino acids that enrich the body with protein quantitatively, and with vitamins qualitatively. Vitamin P strengthens blood vessels, B6 improves brain activity and memory, B12, together with iron, which is also found in pomegranate, is invaluable for blood formation and treats anemia. In 100 grams of grains, only 70 kcal, so there is a diet containing information on how to choose pomegranates as the main ingredient for the diet. The berry is very useful for hypertensive patients, because the potassium contained in it lowers blood pressure and has a beneficial effect on the system of blood vessels and the heart. Ruby berries perfectly treat intestinal dysbiosis, colds, stimulate appetite, remove toxins and protect the skin from free radicals. Crimson pomegranate flowers are used for healing decoctions for tumors and intestinal disorders. There are tannins and alkaloids in the bark, leaves and even the skin of the fetus. Therefore, a decoction of these parts of the plant is used as an anthelmintic, for diarrhea, and also as lotions to rotting wounds.
In what cases should discard fruits or limit themselves to a small number of them?
But there are a number of contraindications that you should familiarize yourself with before choosing pomegranates for food. Firstly, it is gastritis with high acidity. In people with this condition, pomegranate juice can cause stomach ulcers. Hypotonic patients should limit themselves in the use of this berry, since it significantly lowers blood pressure. If you want to treat yourself to freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, drink it through a tube, as it can violate the integrity of tooth enamel. Since the berry has a diuretic effect, people with kidney failure should also not abuse it.
How to choose pomegranate in the store
Well, now let's move on to the practical part. As we have already noted, the beautiful appearance of the fetus does not guarantee you the same pleasant filling. Rather, the opposite. A glossy smooth crimson crust just indicates that the fetus has not ripened. A good ripe pomegranate should be slightly withered. That is, its peel can be dense, dry, slightly rough and resemble old parchment. But on the other hand, it should not have dark spots and be too wrinkled. This means that the pomegranate did not dry out on the tree, but in the warehouse or during transportation. The color of the fruit does not matter much in how to choose pomegranates. "Bombs" can be of various shades: from faded pink to pistachio and maroon, almost brown. Therefore, you need to rely on other signs.
How to choose sweet pomegranate
Take the fruit in your hand. You should feel significant weight for its size. The crust should adhere tightly to the grains hidden inside, as if to stick around a fruit box. When pressed (if the seller allows you such an experiment) in a ripe pomegranate, you will hear a slight crunch. Naturally, the crust should be without damage and stains of rot. A good pomegranate is odorless. But the tail and the “crown” eloquently speak about the degree of its ripeness. Where there used to be a flower, there remained four triangular sepals. This crown should be leathery, open and dry. Sometimes a tail is visible on the fetus (but it may not be). This is the stalk with which the berry was attached to the branch. This tail should in no case be green, but only brown, dry. And the last: the fruit must be firm to the touch.