I have magical memories of pomegranates from my childhood. After school, I and a friend or two would buy a pomegranate from our local small-town market and spend the afternoon picking out the jewel-like seeds from the membrane that held them fast to eat one by one.

This was a painstaking process, for each small seed had to be plucked individually, but we didn’t mind. At that point in our lives, we had nothing but time, and the sweet, juicy flavor of the fruit was well worth our effort.

It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten a pomegranate in that fashion, for truly – as I’ve heard it said – “only a child has the time to eat a pomegranate.” We adults look for ways to make the process quick and easy. Pomegranates, along with long sessions of cloud watching, have fallen by the wayside in my adult years.

Pomegranates remind me of every Arabian Nights story I’ve ever read, of ancient Hebrew Scriptures, of fanciful stories in Greek mythology, and of medieval European art. Not to mention my carefree memories of pomegranate consumption in childhood.

Amazing that so much can be wrapped up in a brightly colored spherical fruit, eh?

Pomegranates are native to the historical region of Persia (modern day Iran) and the Himalayan ranges of India. They’ve been cultivated in various places in Asia, the Middle East, and Mediterranean Europe for several millennia. They truly are an ancient fruit.

A warm weather crop, pomegranate trees are drought resistant and do well in arid areas. For this reason, in the U.S. they’re grown mainly in California and Arizona.

In our hemisphere they’re in season from October through February, and in the southern hemisphere their season is from March to May.

The pomegranate is a berry – and a large one at that – and they hang on the boughs of the shrub-like trees that bear them like Christmas ornaments. It’s quite a striking presentation, as when pomegranates are in season, the trees are resplendent in bright gold fall foliage, a contrast to the red of the fruit.

The scores of tiny, bright, flavorful red globules that glisten within the leathery exterior of a pomegranate are called arils, and within each one of these is an edible seed. It is the arils that hold the juicy flavor of the fruit.

As might be expected, pomegranates are featured in traditional Persian cuisine, as well as in the cuisine of such places as India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Greece. The arils are added to salads, soups, and relishes, and the juice is used in sauces, desserts, and glazes for meats.

In these cuisines, pomegranate is paired with a wide variety of foods, including raisins, lentils, eggplant, lamb, yogurt, garlic, walnuts, and avocados. A thickened version of pomegranate juice, also known as pomegranate molasses, is often used in cooking. This is made by cooking the juice until it reduces and thickens.

If you’re looking for a good pomegranate recipe (or several dozen of them, for that matter), I highly recommend a website devoted to the marketing of pomegranates, that of the Pomegranate Council, whose U.S. address is in the city of Sonoma.

They have a mouth-watering array of dishes utilizing pomegranates, as well as instructions on things such as how to make juice or how to get the seeds out of the fruit. They can be found at www.pomegranates.org.

Generally, juice is made by liquefying the seeds in a blender, then straining through cheesecloth. It’s interesting how many times the warning, “caution: pomegranate juice stains” is used in all the instructions I’ve seen. Apparently, there’s a reason pomegranate juice was used as dye in ancient times.

Several sites (as well as a person or two) recommend an underwater method of removing the seeds from the skin. When this method is employed, the arils sink and the membrane floats to the surface, making for easy separation and gathering of the prized jewel-like arils. Once done, a good supply is available for making juice, using in recipes, or eating out of hand.

To do this, cut the crown off the pomegranate and score the skin from top to bottom in several places so it will open up. Then plunge the entire thing underwater as you separate the seeds from the rind by hand.

Pomegranate has been discovered to be a “super fruit” of sorts in terms of our health. It’s high in antioxidants – higher even than antioxidant power houses red wine and green tea – which bode well for cancer prevention and heart protection.

Its health benefits are legion, with an amazing list of things it enhances, protects, or prevents within our bodies. According to my research, it is said that pomegranates are high in vitamins A, B, and C, iron, calcium, and other essential minerals.

In addition, the antioxidants they contain are beneficial for blood circulation, making them useful for helping to prevent heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and inflammatory conditions.

Studies indicate they assist with ailments such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and menopausal symptoms. As well, they help with the retention of LDL cholesterol (the so-called “good cholesterol”) in the bloodstream.

I can tell you one more thing they’re good for: the enjoyment that comes when gazing upon a thing of beauty. Just Google images for pomegranates and you’ll see what I mean. It’s one of the most beautiful food-related image searches I’ve ever done. They’re truly the most photogenic of fruits.

I just love it when appetizers are easily prepared and still manage to provide a wow. The recipe below does just that. Not only is it beautiful, it tastes amazing. Enjoy!

Easy pomegranate – cream cheese plate

1 block cream cheese
Pomegranate seeds
Honey for drizzling

Place cream cheese whole on a serving platter and drizzle generously with honey. Sprinkle abundantly with pomegranate seeds. Arrange hearty crackers of your choice around the cream cheese.

Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.