The pomegranate is one of the world’s oldest fruits, and one plant is growing and producing in the Garden Creek area of Mathews. Its cultivation dates to 2,200 B.C.E. in the Tigris and Euphrates Valley, which is now Iraq. For thousands of years, it has been a vital provider of food and medicine across different cultures and civilizations.
Through the years the pomegranate has become used as various symbols and was used in many situations other than food and medicine. In Greek mythology it was a sign of death. In ancient Greece and Rome it was a sign of fertility. In the Quran pomegranates grow in the Garden of Paradise and are referred to as God’s good creations.
The pomegranate is a shrub or small tree growing to 33 feet high. The red-purple edible fruit is a berry. When mature its size is between a lemon and a grapefruit in diameter with a rounded shape and a thick reddish husk.
The seeds are used as a spice known as Anar. The juice is used as a cooking ingredient. It’s now also a popular drink.
The edible parts of a pomegranate are the arils, which are the red, juice-filled parts that contain a small white seed. You can eat the arils whole, including the seeds, or spit the seeds out.
Spanish missionaries may have brought pomegranates to the New World in 1531. By 1771 Thomas Jefferson was growing pomegranates at Monticello.
India and China lead the world in pomegranate production. With a limited supply from California and Arizona, the U.S. imports pomegranates from Chile.
References: “Why Pomegranates?” “Pomegranates From Antiquity To Present,” “Pomegranate History” and “Pomegranates Rich in History.”
SELECTING POMEGRANATES
Look for pomegranates between September and January. Choose deeply colored fruits that feel heavy for their size. The leathery skin should be shiny and tight; avoid any fruit that is cracked or has soft spots.
STORING
When stored in the refrigerator, whole pomegranates will keep for a month or more. Pomegranate seeds should be refrigerated and used within a few days, or, if packed tightly, can be frozen for up to three months; to use, scatter directly into dishes without defrosting.
HOW TO DESEED
Never slice a pomegranate as you would an orange down the center. Hold it so the flatter side is on your palm and the round part where it is attached to the stem is up. Use a sharp knife to cut a square around the stem. Pull it out with your fingers. Drag the knife from each of the four corners down to the bottom. Do not press down fully as you don’t want to damage the seeds, just enough to slice through the skin. Using two hands, hold the pomegranate with a thumb on the top of two opposing sides and pull in opposite directions so it breaks in half. Do the same with the other two sides. Once you have all the seeds out of the fruit skin, drop them in a food processor or blender and purée for a minute or two, until all the seeds (arils) are broken. Pour the purée through a fine sieve and press down to get all the juice out. Discard the part with the seeds. The liquid is the prized juice.
A POMEGRANATE SPECIAL
1 large pomegranate
½ c. Grand Marnier liqueur
1 to 2 tsp. lemon juice
Confectioners’ sugar to taste
Remove seeds from pomegranate. Toss seeds in a bowl with Grand Marnier and lemon juice. Allow mixture to sit at room temperature for about one hour. Serve in small bowls or wine glasses, dusting the tops with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Place bowls or glasses on saucers so that those who wish to discard the woody centers of the seeds may do so. Yield: 2 servings.
POMEGRANATE MARGARITA
2 oz. Blanco tequila, such as Teremana
1 oz. pomegranate juice
¾ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. agave nectar
Pinch of salt
1 lime wheel, for garnish
Add tequila, pomegranate juice, fresh lime juice, agave nectar and salt into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until outside of shaker is frosty; strain into a “rocks” glass filled with ice (also called an old-fashioned or lowball glass). Garnish with lime wheel.
APPLE-POMEGRANATE COBBLER
2 c. pomegranate juice
6 Granny Smith apples (3 lb.)—peeled, halved, cored and sliced ½ inch thick
1 c. sugar, plus more for sprinkling
¼ c. all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Pomegranate seeds and vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. In a small saucepan, bring the pomegranate juice to a boil over moderately high heat until reduced to 1/3-c., about 15 minutes. Pour the juice into a large bowl and fold in the apples, ¾ c. sugar, ¼ c. flour and ½ tsp. salt. Scrape the mixture into the baking dish. In another large bowl, whisk the remaining 2 c. flour with the remaining ¼ c. sugar, baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles very coarse crumbs, with some pieces the size of small peas. Gently stir in the 1 c. cream just to combine. Gather the topping into small clumps and scatter over the apple filling. Brush the topping with cream and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake the cobbler for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden. Tent with foil if the crust browns too quickly. Let cool for 20 minutes. Serve sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and topped with vanilla ice cream.
POMEGRANATE SORBET
2 c. plus 2 Tbs. fresh pomegranate juice squeezed from about 3 pomegranates
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. plus 1 Tbs. water
Juice of half a lemon or juice of one whole lime
Add the sugar and water to a pot and set over medium heat. Cook until it reaches 220°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, wait until after all the sugar dissolves then boil it for a minute. Let cool, then set in refrigerator to cool completely. Make the pomegranate juice. To do this, open and deseed about 3 pomegranates. Then add them to a food processor and pulse on high for a few minutes. Press the purée through a fine mesh sieve as much as you can to extract as much juice as possible (you’ll need 2 c. juice for the sorbet); set aside. Stir together the pomegranate juice, the syrup and the lemon (lime) juice. Chill it in the fridge for a few hours. Once fully cooled, churn it in your ice cream maker.