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The Pomegranate Craze

20-Nov-2007 by stephenlinn

As we roll into Thanksgiving I keep hearing how cranberry is so 2006 and that pomegranate is the new cranberry. I wonder if that will change up many Thanksgiving feasts.

Even if pomegranate can't break the Turkey Day cranberry tradition it is breaking into all sorts of recipes and products. One of those is PAMA. This is a pomegranate liqueur that's made from pomegranate juice (surprise, surprise), vodka and a tad of tequila.

Of course you can't just drink a liqueur, you have to cook with it, too, right? I've started to play around with some the PAMA folks kindly sent me (I'll let you know what dishes I come up with) but they have several of their own recipes, of course. This baked bean recipe is a good one for a party... you can make it ahead, warm it up before your party, and feed a crowd.

Smoky Baked Beans with Pomegranate Molasses
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic gloves, minced
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup PAMA
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, saute 6 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute.
3. Add ketchup and next nine ingredients (through tomatoes) to pan; stir to combine. Add beans, stirring until well combined. Pour into a 11x7 inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings
Adapted from Cooking Light

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The Tortilla Guy says :

US: November is National Pomegranate Month Shoppers are finding a wider than usual variety of tropical fruits available this season and among the most exotic is the pomegranate. It’s National Pomegranate Month during November – a time to celebrate this tasty and nutritious fruit that contains natural phytonutrients and antioxidants. Pomegranates are a tough-skinned grapefruit-sized red delicacy containing scores of tiny individual seed sacs that are deliciously sweet. Grown in the Mediterranean for thousands of years, this succulent fruit is now harvested domestically in the San Joaquin Valley in California and is gaining in use and popularity. Until now, this perishable fruit and its many benefits had a short shelf life and was available fresh for only three months a year. FruitFast®, a functional food company offering premium 100% fruit supplement products, uses their proprietary process to make the benefits of pomegranates available all year. “FruitFast offers pomegranates in several different forms that are 100% fruit without the preservatives, additives, fillers or solvents, plus they are convenient and available year round,” says process inventor and company owner Bob Underwood. “It’s a good feeling to know that our products are quality, laboratory-tested and widely endorsed by the USDA, doctors and, of course, our legions of satisfied customers.” FruitFast products include Wonderful Pomegranate Softgels, Wonderful Pomegranate Liquid, Pomegranate Fruit Concentrate and Wonderful Pomegranate Fruit Supplement Bars. Pomegranates and their natural phytonutrients help: Maintain already healthy cholesterol levels* Supports a healthy immune system* Maintain already healthy cardiovascular function* Guards the body against free radicals* “It is believed that the synergistic combination of anthocyanins and other antioxidants – found in pomegranates, tart cherries and wild blueberries – are effective in supporting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Russel J. Reiter, endocrinologist and research scientist, University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. “Good nutrition over a long period of time, which these fruits provide, will likely improve your health.” The Tortilla Guy

Posted on: 22 November 2007 - 8:48am