Pomegranate Martini or Spritzer

I confess I've never squeezed a real pomegranate before. I found them intimidating. I used to look at them in the produce section but never had the guts to buy one and find out how to eat it.  I've had the juice before and have ordered dishes with pomegranate in them from restaurants but have just never gotten around to investigating them up close and personal for myself until now.

This is my entry for Cate of Sweetnick's, ARF/5-A-Day blogging event featuring antioxidant rich foods.  The pomegranate definitely fits that category.  Loaded with Vitamin C, A, and E, and folic acid, it's a powerhouse fruit.  Studies have shown that the fruit can lower lipid profiles in diabetics with hyperlipidemia (too much fat in the blood), and increases blood flow to the heart while lowering cholesterol profiles in both healthy patients and those diagnosed with heart disease.  In one article that summarizes five studies, it states that pomegranates increase levels of nitric oxide in the blood, which dilates the vessels allowing blood to flow more easily which also assists in lowering systolic (the top number) blood pressure and pomegranate also reduces plaque build-up by as much as 30%.  The same article also suggests eating/drinking daily pomegranate can positively affect erectile dysfunction.  Holy Blood Flow, Batman!  Forget Viagra and Cialys, just slug back pomegranate juice frequently and regularly to...uh..affect other things in life you'd like to do frequently.  Okay, seriously that might have a little merit because blood doesn't just flow to the heart, you know.

I can't take credit for suddenly becoming pomegranate brave.  Auntie Miranda sent me home with a bag full of goodies to play with last week that included a pomegranate.  I had to look up on the internet how to cut, carve, squeeze, eat it but it was worth the time.  Since I was wanting to primarily juice it, I took one particular piece of advice.  I cut off the end, squeezed as much of the juice and seeds as I could into the pitcher of my blender, and then scraped out the rest of the seeds with a table knife. 

I do have to mention that everything you've ever heard about pomegranate's mightly ability to stain anything in it's path is true.  It's the superhero of staining stuff.  One second of contact equal 5 minutes of soaking with Clorox. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but only slightly.

Once I had all the juice and seeds I could get out of the bowl of the fruit, I whizzed the whole thing up in the blender until it was a mass of thick pulp.  Then, I simply drained it all through a fine mesh sieve and ended up with about 1/3 cup of beautiful gem-red juice.  Lovely all by itself and quite tasty.

For the Martini, simply take equal part of juice and regular, raspberry, or orange-flavored vodka and shake or stir over ice until chilled.

For a just as refreshing non-alcoholic version, serve equal parts of the juice and Sprite over ice. I suggest that shaking Sprite probably isn't that good of an idea.

Enjoy.

Comments

[girlie]

The color of that pomegranate juice is just beautiful! We saw pomegranate trees all over southern Italy, but I think we just barely missed the season for them. darn.

[gattina]

Last time when I got its juice, wasn't difficult, but darn messy! Love the idea of pomegrante and vodka... will see lots of wild bunnies running around ;P

[Rachel]

I can't believe that color!

[sher]

You did it! You invented a healthy martini!!! :):)

[Mimi]

Wonderful color. Great idea. I want a pitcher.

[Glenna]

Girlie--I'm so jealous! That's very cool. You'll have to take pics sometime when they are growing on the trees.

Rachel--It is beautiful, isn't it? Of course, I did have a little help from a high powered flashlight to bring out the true glow.

Gattina--You can see whatever you want to see running around! It's your martini.

Sher--I know! You can justify this one all the way to the doc.

Mimi--Gladly. Come on over to my house and we'll make a pitcher and curl up on a couch out in the sunroom and have girls night.

[kate]

meu site... queria que avaliassem e dessem opinioes!

[vasya_syf]

Hello All! Very nice JOB!!!
RESPECT

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Have heard that Pomegranate juice has allot of other health benefits, with erectile dysfunction for example :)

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