Get the Squeeze on Pomegranates

By Sara Thompson

Image credit is Susan Slater, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en.

Special to The Enterprise

November is National Pomegranate Month. Originally from the Mediterranean and the Middle East, this fun fruit is typically in season between September and December in the United States. The word pomegranate means ‘apple with many seeds’, which is an apt name given one of its most defining features is its many seeds contained within in.

The shrub that pomegranate fruit grow on can grow between 15-30 feet tall. Older shrubs can develop a distinct, twisted look to their multiple trunks. Pomegranates are a long living plant, with some recorded shrubs living for 200 years! They are drought-tolerant and do best in Mediterranean-like climates, with predictable wet seasons and mild winters. Too much moisture can cause root decay.

The pomegranate fruit can range from a red to a dark purple in color. They develop from a bright red flower that has 3-7 pedals. The outer part of the fruit is hard, with a spongy inner pulp where the seeds attach. The number of seeds of a pomegranate vary, but generally range between 200-1400! The seeds are the most commonly used part of the pomegranate, eaten raw or pressed into juice. Even the peel has some uses for dietary supplements and extracts.

Pomegranates are rich in vitamins and minerals, healthy carbohydrates, fiber, and is over 75% water. Celebrate National Pomegranate Month by enjoying one of these great, healthy snacks packed full of benefits in such a small package.

Explorit's coming events:

• Explorit is open Fridays from 1-4pm and Saturday and Sundays from 10am-2pm. The current exhibit is “Blast Off! A Journey Through Our Solar System”. Admission is $5 per person, free for Explorit Members and those aged 2 and under.

  
  

• Holiday hours: Veteran’s Day, Monday, Nov. 11 open 10am-2pm. Thanksgiving week: Nov. 25-27, open 10am-4pm, Closed Nov. 28, Nov. 29 open 10am-4pm.

  
  

• Consider Explorit for your end of year giving and help to educate and inspire the scientists of tomorrow: https://www.explorit.org/donate

  
  

• An Explorit Membership grants the recipient free visits to Explorit’s regular public hours, discounts on events, summer camps and workshops, and gives you ASTC benefits to visit other museums throughout the world.  To purchase or for more information visit https://www.explorit.org/membership or call Explorit at 530-756-0191.

  
  

• Celebrate your birthday at Explorit! Offered Saturdays and Sundays between 2-4pm, this two hour program includes themed group activities and crafts, a decorated party room, and exclusive access to Explorit’s Exploration Gallery. Themes include Amazing Animals, Dynamic Dinosaurs, and our brand-new theme Blast Off! Space. Call 530-756-0191 to reserve. More information found at https://www.explorit.org/birthday-parties.