Sometimes, we wondered about whether is pomegranate a citrus fruit or not? And, the reason for this confusion is that the pomegranates have an amazing smell like citrus fruits. Not only this, but they also have a sweet-tart flavour like other citrus fruits.
So here we will clear up things about, is pomegranate a citrus fruit? And, you will find what different can you do with pomegranates. Also, we will elaborate on what kind of beneficial effects pomegranates have on your health. Just take a glance.
Is Pomegranate A Citrus Fruit?
The answer is no, the pomegranates are not citrus fruits because they do not belong to the citrus family. Despite their delicious sweet tangy flavour and taste, they are not actually citrus fruits.
Citrus fruits are those who belong to the Rutaceae family, which is also known as the citrus or rue family. They are so named because of their high citric acid content.
A bulk of nutrients is found in citrus fruits. And, these nutrients have few calories as well as provide you instant energy. The fruits like oranges, lemons, tangerines, limes, and pomelo are some examples of citrus fruits.
To Which Family Pomegranate Actually Belongs?
The pomegranate belongs to the Lythraceae family, having deciduous shrubs. Plants of the Lythraceae family have a crumbly bark. Their flowers have bilateral symmetry with six to eight sepals or petals.
The pomegranate fruit originates when an ovary of a single flower ripe. The outer pericarp of an ovary gets mature and forms a thick skin to protect seeds inside it. Besides this, an inner pericarp forms the fleshy arils for the protection of little seeds.
Characteristics of Pomegranates:
Pomegranates are unique in their appearance and structure having no close relatives. They are native to Central Asia. However, these are very popular in the tropical and Mediterranean countries, particularly in the western world nowadays.
Their huge cultivation throughout the world indicates that they are highly adaptive to their environment, climate and soil conditions.
First time, the pomegranates were cultivated in Persia and United States. But, now they are widely cultivated in the southeast and central Asia as well as in tropical regions.
Pomegranate is a fruit having a size slightly larger than an orange. The fruit colour varies greatly from light red to deep or dark red, irrespective of the colour of arils inside it.
Each pomegranate has dozens of edible juicy seeds. And, the taste of seeds may vary from little sour to a sharp tangy flavour just like cherries.
Its thick outer skin is non-edible. But, its seeds are edible and juicy. The layers of juicy pulp surround these pomegranate seeds.
Pomegranates have several nutritional benefits on human health. Therefore, they find a variety of applications in food and commercial industries.
Vitamin C Content in Pomegranates:
Pomegranates have a sufficient amount of vitamin C in them. Even a single pomegranate can meet the daily requirement of vitamin C of a consumer. In addition to vitamin C, they also have vitamin K & E, minerals, ascorbic and folic acid.
However, vitamin C is an essential component of citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. But, pomegranates are also not low on vitamin C. For example, a single pomegranate has 72 calories, 20 mg vitamin C, and 13 micrograms of vitamin K.
What Kind of Taste Is Pomegranate Citrus Have?
The taste of a ripe pomegranate is sweet and little sour like berries and grapes. These are also unique in taste. Because they have natural sweeteners in them with a little tart and tangy flavour. Likewise, the unripe pomegranates might have a very sour and bitter taste.
Ripe pomegranates are abundant with natural sugars like fructose and glucose. And these sugars provide you with instant energy.
What Different Can You Do with Pomegranates?
Even the pomegranates are not citrus fruits, but still, you can take advantage of these in a variety of ways. In popular food industries, pomegranate seeds are widely used to prepare sauces, fruit jams, chutneys, and candies.
Moreover, the sweet and tart flavour of pomegranates adds a delicious taste to our foods. Everyone likes this wonderful and tasty flavour in their sweets as well as savoury baked goods. So, here we will provide you with a number of useful tips which you can use to make your foods extra-special using pomegranates.
Use Pomegranate as A Natural Topping for Desserts:
Imagine the topping of pomegranate seeds on your delicious baked creations with berries. It will really an amazing thing you can do to decorate your desserts. Not limited to only this, but also you can use them as a fresh fruit jam.
If you love to bake, then give a crunchy twist to your cakes, cupcakes, pies, and tarts with a natural topping of pomegranate seeds. And, it will surely delight you and your family friends.
Serve the Juice of Pomegranates with Oranges:
In my opinion, the combination of pomegranate juice with oranges would be unusual. But, it is something that will definitely excite any juice lover. This drink might not be as sweetest as you imagine, but it got a better taste than any usual one. Really, it would be a delicious tasty drink full of energy-rich nutrients.
Now, serve the pomegranate juice with orange one to your guests and they will simply love it. And, this could be a unique way to refresh yourself on a sunny day.
Add the Pomegranate Seeds to A Salad:
Another way to take advantage of this fruit is its use in a fruit salad. Its juicy and crunchy seeds will definitely delight you. In fact, you can intake its nutrition daily with an ordinary fruit or a vegetable salad.
Their combination with sweet fruits like kiwi, mangoes, apples, grapes, and pineapple would be luscious. And, thus you can serve this special pomegranate salad at social events.
Health Benefits of The Pomegranates:
As now, we clear up things that the pomegranate is not a citrus fruit. Also, you have learned all about this wonderful fruit. So, here we will elaborate on some beneficial facts of pomegranates. Let’s read.
Firstly, pomegranates have sufficient antioxidants to protect you from various diseases. Also, they reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. These antioxidants may help to reduce the susceptibility to cancer.
Secondly, they also improve digestion and lower the stress level of the body. Many scientists found that pomegranates boost up the natural immunity of the body.
As we elaborate earlier that the pomegranates have enough vitamin C, which is helpful to maintain your health. Besides vitamin C, pomegranates also provide you with vitamin E & K.
Additionally, recent researches reveal that pomegranates also have their role in lowering blood pressure. These have anti-inflammatory properties that reduce inflammation in the body. So, they help you to develop resistance against bacterial infections.
Thus, we can say that pomegranates are unique as well as beneficial fruits on this planet. And, these are not citrus fruits but have citric acid and vitamin C just like citrus fruits.