All you need to know about Pomegranate, When is Pomegranate Season, when is Pomegranate Ready to Harvest and Pomegranate Nutrition Facts.
When is Pomegranate Season
Pomegranate in season from October through January.
Though some varieties are harvested in late summer, the Wonderful variety, which makes up about 80 percent of the U.S. crop, is in season from October through January. You can bet that pretty much any pomegranate you buy at the grocery store was California-grown.
When is Pomegranate Ready to Harvest
Pomegranate harvesting begins in August.
The fruit does not continue to ripen after harvest and should be picked when fully ripe for best eating quality. The fruit is ready for harvest if it makes a metallic sound when tapped.
Pomegranate Nutrition Facts
Pomegranates have a long history of being used to treat a variety of ailments, and current scientific evidence suggests this unique fruit does provide health benefits.
Over 120 different phytochemicals have been identified from pomegranate juice, and antioxidant levels are reported to be higher than those of both green tea and red wine.
It has also been reported that consumption of pomegranate fruit or juice can reduce inflammation, combat heart disease, inhibit cancer, and may slow the effects of aging.
There are hundreds of arils in each pomegranate and each aril “sac” houses a tiny seed called the embryo, which can be soft or hard. The tart flavor and refreshing sweetness of pomegranate is popular with consumers.
An 8 oz. serving has 150 calories and is a good source of folate and potassium and a very good source of vitamin K. There has even been some limited evidence that theorizes that pomegranate fruit contains antiviral and antibacterial properties which protect against foodborne illnesses. More research is needed to further explore this hypothesis.
colostate.edu
Pomegranates have an impressive nutrient profile — one cup of arils (174 grams) contains:
- Fiber: 7 grams
- Protein: 3 grams
- Vitamin C: 30% of the RDI
- Vitamin K: 36% of the RDI
- Folate: 16% of the RDI
- Potassium: 12% of the RDI
- The pomegranate arils are also very sweet, with one cup containing 24 grams of sugar and 144 calories.