What a perfect name for the most popular variety of pomegranate, that quintessential bejeweled holiday fruit. Punica granatum, or seeded apple, is native to Persia, and one of the oldest known edible fruits. These red globes were prized by the ancient Greeks, and subsequently in Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt, Spain, Morocco, Iran, Afghanistan and India. The Spanish padres brought pomegranates to California, to plant around the missions. They probably also brought the kumquats, as they did other citrus varieties.
Pomegranates keep a few days at room temperature and make spectacular table arrangements.
In the fridge they will keep weeks in a plastic baggie. Pomegranates are rich in anti-oxidants and potassium, good for the heart and have been valued in many folk cultures for various medicinal uses. To remove seeds, growers advise cutting off the crown, scoring the fruit a few times and immersing in a bowl of cold water for five minutes. Break it into sections and separate the seeds from the white membrane under water. The seeds sink and the white part can be skimmed off.