Pomegranate Tea

We have now added Pomi-Berry tea to our range of organic teas, available in the Gourmet Fusion store. Our Two Leaves and a Bud Pomi-Berry is a blend of pomegranate and herbal berry blend.

Research has shown that pomegranate is one of the top foods when it comes to high levels of disease fighting antioxidants.


Our tea blend is a combination of berry blend, forest berries, pomegranate, apple, lavender and hibiscus to create a balanced, sweet but relaxing herbal blend. Finally, chamomile and lemongrass complete the flavor making it a great after-meal tea.

This yummy drink contains no caffeine, and the biodegradable tea sachets are large and mug-sized, so you can steep them in a big mug without losing any of the flavor. Full of leaf herbs, flowers and large fruit pieces, you can watch the leaves open and infuse in your mug.


Available in boxes containing 15 tea sachets, Pomi-berry can be found online and at the Gourmet Fusion store at 240 South Cedros Avenue, Solana Beach, California.

Pomegranate & Orange Juice

I read a report recently based on research carried out by the University of California, Los Angeles which ranked 10 beverages by their levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, and pomegranate juice was the clear winner.

The top ten list went as follows:

1. Pomegranate juice
2. Red wine
3. Concord grape juice
4. Blueberry juice
5. Black cherry juice
6. Acai juice
7. Cranberry juice

8. Orange juice
9. Tea
10. Apple juice

Well, if you are like me, and rarely eat pomegranates, trying to incorporate them into anything sounds a challenge, so I began to consider the places I know where pomegranates are a common fruit, and immediately thought of Morocco. It was in the book, Cooking at the Kasbah by Kitty Morse, that I found this recipe, and not only does it include pomegranates, but also orange juice which comes in at number eight on the list, so I guess this is really full of antioxidants. It is non-alcoholic, and ideal for the long, hot summer days ahead.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 1 pomegranate
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• Sugar to taste
• 2 teaspoons orange-flower water (available in some supermarkets and liquor stores, and also Middle Eastern markets)
• Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Method

1. Fill a large bowl with water. Cut the pomegranate in half lengthwise. Holding the fruit under the water, break it apart, separating the seeds from the skin and white pith. The seeds will drop to the bottom of the bowl, while the pith will float to the surface.
2. Transfer the seeds to a colander or strainer. Rinse, removing any remaining bits of skin and pith.
3. In a blender or juicer, puree the pomegranate seeds with the water.
   
4. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing the puree with the back of a large spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
5. Transfer to a container and stir in the orange juice, sugar, and orange-flower water.
6. Serve over ice cubes and garnish with a mint sprig.