Pomegranate
Punica granatum
Family: Lythraceae
HISTORY
The pomegranate is not only rich in flavor, but also in cultural history. Some religious historians claim it was the forbidden fruit that tempted Adam and Eve into the Garden of Eden, and not the apple - its Latin name, punica granatum, means grainy or seeded apple.
Its earthly story begins right at the start of recorded civilization, with the fruit being one of the earliest cultivated by humans. The pomegranate is from Iran, southwest Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan and a staple in arid regions of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. Pomegranates have been cultivated throughout the Middle East, India, and Mediterranean region for several millennia, and it is also cultivated in the Central Valley of California and in Arizona. Pomegranates do very well in our arid climate. Spanish missionaries first brought pomegranates to the New World around 1521. It is also extensively grown in southern China and in Southeast Asia, whether originally spread along the route of the Silk Road or brought by sea traders. Pomegranates were brought to Spain by the Phoecians, who first settled in Cadíz (an Andalusian city) in 850 BC.Pomegranates, thus, have a history in our region which was colonized by the Spanish before the anglos came here. As such, they are part of a group of fruit trees divorced of the culture that knew how to use them well (along with olives, mulberries, and figs). They’ve gained in popularity in recent years, but only slowly as anglos don’t always successfully take the pomegranate from the garden into the kitchen successfully.
DESCRIPTION
Though they vary in size from about 3’ to 30’, most commonly mature pomegranates reach a height of 15’. Many people think of pomegranates as trees, but they are actually a shrub, and sometimes the diligence of some pomegranates to force them into a familiar tree shape does a lot of harm to the plant. We highly recommend you trash your expectations and let the plant be what it is, an upright, deciduous shrub. Plants flower in spring into summer and fruits may arrive late summer into fall or even into winter (depending on the variety). Most fruits are blushed red on the outside, but the color of the leathery outside may range from red to pink, tan, yellow, and even almost black. The fruit on the inside also ranged from red to pink, to nearly clear.
USES
Hailed as a superfood for its antioxidant properties, the ruby red seeds of this remarkable fruit have been savored for centuries, and hold a special religious and cultural significance. Pomegranate arils taste a lot like cranberries—fairly tart with a bit of sweetness underneath.
Pomegranate juice has long been a popular drink in the Middle East, and is now widely distributed around the world.
Grenadine syrup originally consisted of thickened and sweetened pomegranate juice, now is usually a sales name for a syrup based on various berries, citric acid, and food coloring, mainly used in cocktail mixing. Before tomatoes (a New World fruit) arrived in the Middle East, pomegranate juice, molasses, and vinegar were widely used in many Iranian foods, and are still found in traditional recipes such as fesenjān, a thick sauce made from pomegranate juice and ground walnuts, usually spooned over duck or other poultry and rice, and in ash-e anar (pomegranate soup).
Look to recipes from the Mediterranean and Middle East for delicious uses of pomegranate.
Here are 49 recipes to use as inspiration for getting pomegranate into your kitchen.
PRESERVATION
The best way to preserve pomegranate is to make it into juice or syrup—juice can be frozen. Pomegranate cooked into a syrup will last a long time in the fridge.
GROWING
Plant pomegranates in full sun for best fruit production, though plants can tolerate some afternoon shade. Pomegranates are surprisingly tough against our summer sun.
Like many plants, pomegranates appreciate a good mulching around the base of the plant, but as with all plants, avoid burying the root flare (don’t bury the plant deeper than it was in the container. Start your mulching about a foot or so away fro the base of the plant.
Feed once a year with a general purpose, organic fertilizer in mid to late winter, before leaf-out. Pomegranates are surprisingly not very needy of plant food. Always feed plants organically and avoid synthetic fertilizers.
Once established they need consistent moderate watering. Before flowering and fruiting you want to deep water pomegranates once every few weeks, depending on your soil and water retention. When plants begin to flower do not water until most of the fruit has set and all non-pollinated flowers have dropped. Watering during flowering may result in premature flower drop and no fruit set.
During fruiting, water a few times a week, moderately. Overwatering can cause the development of molds which may also increase the likelihood of fruit splitting.
Most pomegranate cultivars are hardy down to 12° F, with the hardier types surviving without damage down to 7° F.
Leaf footed bugs can penetrate the rind to suck out juice, causing an internal fungus infection in part of the fruit. Plants in full sun have less of a problem with these bugs than those that are shaded.
The flowers attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. The leaves may be browsed by deer. Birds often peck at ripening fruit, which should be covered by individual cloth bags or bird netting draped over the entire plant.
HARVESTING
A ripe pomegranate should be relatively heavier—as the fruits on the inside have become turgid and full of moisture. The outer skin becomes a little soft, if you are able to make a scratch by finger nail, with gentle pressure, then it is ripe. Usually before ripening the skin is hard and tight, and cannot be easily scratched. Also, look at the top of the fruit. If the little petal-shaped appendages at the top are turned slightly inward, your pomegranate is ripe and ready to eat.
COMMON POMEGRANATE VARIETIES
Ambrosia Medium to large, pale pink skin, purple sweet-tart juice, similar to Wonderful. Long-lived, inland or coastal climate. 150 hours. Self-fruitful.
Ariana Large vivid red fruit, small, soft edible seeds, sweet punchy flavor, rated as one of best tasting, 100 chill hours, Oct-Nov ripening
Angel Red Large vivid red fruit, highest juice content, soft edible seeds, best for juicing, prolific, 150 chill hours, ripens late summer
Desertnyi Large orange fruit, dark red arils, very soft seeds, citrus overtones to flavor, 200 chill hours, Oct-Nov ripening
Eversweet Large red fruit, virtually seedless, clear arils, clear, very sweet, non-staining juice, 150 chill hours, ripens late summer into fall
Grenada A darker, less tart bud sport of Wonderful. Can be grown as a bush or in tree form. Harvest 30 days before Wonderful. Long-lived, any soil. Adaptable to coastal growing conditions. 150 hours. Self-fruitful.
Nana A dwarf plant that gets 2-4’ tall with smaller fruits. This plant is mostly grown as an ornamental and by bonsai enthusiasts. Fruits are edible but small.
Parfianka large red fruit, very small edible seeds, sweet red juice, excellent flavor, considered one of the best tasting overall, 100 to 200 chill hours, ripens mid-fall
Pink Satin Medium-sized, pink to dark red fruit, medium to large edible seeds, light-colored non-staining juice, sweet fruit-punch flavor, vigorous, 150-200 chill hours, ripens mid-fall
Sweet A sweeter version of 'Wonderful', tiny, soft, edible seeds, suitable for container growing and espalier, 100 chill hours, ripens late summer
Wonderful Medium to large purple-red fruit with a tangy flavor, medium-hard seeds, vigorous, productive, the standard commercial pomegranate, 150 chill hours, ripens mid-fall.
MISSION GARDEN POMEGRANATES
Over the years, people with the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and Mission Gardens have been preserving fruit varieties found at old homesteads, missions, former indigenous settlements and abandoned towns in the borderlands of Arizona, Sonora, and Baja California.
Sosa - A delicious soft-seeded Pink pomegranate, that appears to have been originally grafted onto a white pomegranite, planted in 1880’s in Tucson
Ruby - White pomegranate found near spring near ghost town of Ruby near Border, Santa Cruz County
Josefina - White pomegranate from Tucson, extremely sweet with white fruit
Quitobaquito - White pomegranate from the iconic Quitobaquito Springs in Organpipe National Monument
Edgar Canyon - Red pomegranate occuring in a lush riparian area on the east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains
San Xavier - Bright red pomegranate found at the San Xavier mission on the southwest side of Tucson