It's Pomegranate season in Jerusalem!
I just love that first sign of fall, when pomegranates all over the city begin to redden and ripen. Did you know that pomegranates have been grown in Israel and the Mesopotamian region for over 4,000 years? We are just as smitten by its tangy ruby morsels today as in ancient times. In Jewish tradition the pomegranate symbolizes abundance of blessing and a fruitful new year. In India and Persia this fruit was traditionally considered to have powerful medicinal properties; today we know that pomegranates contain high levels of antioxidants and even have an anti-bacterial cleaning effect on your teeth!
For hundreds of years, Persian and Syrian Jews have used pomegranate concentrate to flavor meat dishes and stews: try pouring a generous amount of pomegranate syrup over chicken before baking or roasting, adding a bit of honey, and crushed garlic or sauteéd shallots - you can't go wrong!
