

Many bottled fruit juices have added sweeteners or natural or artificial flavors. You also get a purer flavor from homemade pomegranate juice. You can use pomegranates bought in season and at their peak, instead of drinking pomegranate juice made from concentrate.

While pomegranate juice does have some health benefits, such as high levels of antioxidants, there are definitely other advantages to making pomegranate juice at home. While you can eat their beautiful arils either on their own or sprinkled over salads, cooked entrées, desserts, or a nice bowl of yogurt, pomegranate arils have one more valuable ingredient to offer: pomegranate juice. Most pomegranates come into season in autumn from September to November (although you can find them in stores as late as January). It remains popular in Mediterranean, Central Asian, and South Asian cuisines. This ancient, sweet and tart fruit is the original basis for grenadine, a fruity syrup popular in beloved cocktails and mock tails. All of the arils are clustered together in tightly packed chambers separated by white or yellow membranes. This multi-sided fruit has a smooth, leathery skin that can range from brownish yellow to a striking red inside are little seeds, each covered in a jewel-like red pulp called an aril.
