Pomegranate: punica granatum
History & Cultivation
The highly underrated and extremely sexy “Chinese Apple” actually originated in Persia. The ancient Greeks had several lusty myths concerning the pomegranate. One tells the tale of a nymph who is told she would one day wear a crown and allows herself to be seduced by Bacchus who, instead of making her his queen rewards the foolish girl by turning her into a pomegranate! The pomegranate is the ‘love apple’ that Venus bestowed on her favourites and also starred in the tale of Persephone. More sober references can be found in the Bible.
The pomegranate tree is highly ornamental with its four petalled flowers of brightest orange that appear in spring and after fertilization swell into firm round fruits of yellow and red. Its narrow leaves are a pale green and are usually, though not always, deciduous. They are easy to grow, require minimal water and care, with just the occasional prune to keep them tidy. They enjoy well drained soil.
Choosing Your Fruit
The best pomegranates are usually the size of an orange and will weigh heavily in your hand. This is a sign they are still full of juice. The skin should be smooth and free from splits and the blossom (or pointy) end should be closed. Fruit left too long on the tree will split and open and is much favoured by rats, birds, ants and other insects. As the fruit ages, the skin begins to shrink and harden until it is quite leathery in texture. It protects and preserves the fruit for many weeks which made it a useful source of vitamin C for sailors traveling to the New World.
Peeling & To Spit or Not to Spit
To peel the pomegranate, score the skin from flower end to stem in four sections as you would an orange with a small sharp knife. Peel from the flower (pointed) end. Pull the yellow pith away from the jewel like seeds and discard – it is bitter. Of course you can cut the fruit into sections but you will waste lots of juice and spoil some of the seed.
A child armed with a pin, a pomegranate and a spot in the garden will be happily entertained spearing and eating pomegranate seed. Two children similarly armed will invent spitting competitions.. That brings us to…. Are you a spitter or a chewer? Its purely personal taste when it comes to pomegranate seed. Purists insist that to chew or vitamise the seed destroys the fresh astringency of the taste. There are some seed free varieties available but these are rarely seen outside of Asia. If the seeds of your pomegranate are hard, by all means spit them out… discreetly please unless you are with those two children in the garden.
Extracting the Juice
The slightly acidic and beautifully coloured juice is highly prized as a refreshing drink. There are many methods to extract it. Here are a few to try…
Cover with hot water and stand for an hour.
Place in a jelly bag or tea towel in a sieve over a bowl.
Squeeze well.
OR
Microwave whole fruits 30 seconds on high
Roll fruit over bench, pressing firmly.
Cut a circular hole at the flower end of the fruit and sit in sieve over bowl to drain squeezing occasionally.
Place seeds in a strong sieve over a bowl.
Bash with the back of a wooden spoon then rinse with a little water.
OR (my favourite)
Roll the fruit on the bench top, pressing firmly, until it feels 'mushy.'
Cut in half around its equator and juice in a citrus juicer.
Cooking
The sweet sharp taste of pomegranate is used savoury Persian dishes of chicken and turkey. In Greece the red seeds are used to garnish ‘Kolya’, a traditional dish for funerals made from wheat grain, dried fruits and nuts. In Indian cooking, the seeds without pulp are dried in the sun then ground fresh into a spice called anadarna prized for its use in acidifying chutneys and curries.
A syrup of pomegranate juice is well known as Grenadine, a sweet pink cordial.
Pomegranate molasses is often used in Moroccan food and can enrich and enliven a tajine. It will do the same for a tomato sauce and is available at most gourmet and Asian food stores.
Pomegranate jelly is a preserve made from equal parts of juice and sugar with added lemon juice that is reputed to jell in only five minutes cooking time!
In fruit salads or sprinkled over creamy desserts as a garnish, the ruby richness of pomegranate speaks of love, lavishness and celebration.
The highly underrated and extremely sexy “Chinese Apple” actually originated in Persia. The ancient Greeks had several lusty myths concerning the pomegranate. One tells the tale of a nymph who is told she would one day wear a crown and allows herself to be seduced by Bacchus who, instead of making her his queen rewards the foolish girl by turning her into a pomegranate! The pomegranate is the ‘love apple’ that Venus bestowed on her favourites and also starred in the tale of Persephone. More sober references can be found in the Bible.
The pomegranate tree is highly ornamental with its four petalled flowers of brightest orange that appear in spring and after fertilization swell into firm round fruits of yellow and red. Its narrow leaves are a pale green and are usually, though not always, deciduous. They are easy to grow, require minimal water and care, with just the occasional prune to keep them tidy. They enjoy well drained soil.
Choosing Your Fruit
The best pomegranates are usually the size of an orange and will weigh heavily in your hand. This is a sign they are still full of juice. The skin should be smooth and free from splits and the blossom (or pointy) end should be closed. Fruit left too long on the tree will split and open and is much favoured by rats, birds, ants and other insects. As the fruit ages, the skin begins to shrink and harden until it is quite leathery in texture. It protects and preserves the fruit for many weeks which made it a useful source of vitamin C for sailors traveling to the New World.
Peeling & To Spit or Not to Spit
To peel the pomegranate, score the skin from flower end to stem in four sections as you would an orange with a small sharp knife. Peel from the flower (pointed) end. Pull the yellow pith away from the jewel like seeds and discard – it is bitter. Of course you can cut the fruit into sections but you will waste lots of juice and spoil some of the seed.
A child armed with a pin, a pomegranate and a spot in the garden will be happily entertained spearing and eating pomegranate seed. Two children similarly armed will invent spitting competitions.. That brings us to…. Are you a spitter or a chewer? Its purely personal taste when it comes to pomegranate seed. Purists insist that to chew or vitamise the seed destroys the fresh astringency of the taste. There are some seed free varieties available but these are rarely seen outside of Asia. If the seeds of your pomegranate are hard, by all means spit them out… discreetly please unless you are with those two children in the garden.
Extracting the Juice
The slightly acidic and beautifully coloured juice is highly prized as a refreshing drink. There are many methods to extract it. Here are a few to try…
Cover with hot water and stand for an hour.
Place in a jelly bag or tea towel in a sieve over a bowl.
Squeeze well.
OR
Microwave whole fruits 30 seconds on high
Roll fruit over bench, pressing firmly.
Cut a circular hole at the flower end of the fruit and sit in sieve over bowl to drain squeezing occasionally.
Place seeds in a strong sieve over a bowl.
Bash with the back of a wooden spoon then rinse with a little water.
OR (my favourite)
Roll the fruit on the bench top, pressing firmly, until it feels 'mushy.'
Cut in half around its equator and juice in a citrus juicer.
Cooking
The sweet sharp taste of pomegranate is used savoury Persian dishes of chicken and turkey. In Greece the red seeds are used to garnish ‘Kolya’, a traditional dish for funerals made from wheat grain, dried fruits and nuts. In Indian cooking, the seeds without pulp are dried in the sun then ground fresh into a spice called anadarna prized for its use in acidifying chutneys and curries.
A syrup of pomegranate juice is well known as Grenadine, a sweet pink cordial.
Pomegranate molasses is often used in Moroccan food and can enrich and enliven a tajine. It will do the same for a tomato sauce and is available at most gourmet and Asian food stores.
Pomegranate jelly is a preserve made from equal parts of juice and sugar with added lemon juice that is reputed to jell in only five minutes cooking time!
In fruit salads or sprinkled over creamy desserts as a garnish, the ruby richness of pomegranate speaks of love, lavishness and celebration.
Turkish Heaven
A delightful creamy dessert low in fat and calories for Moroccan or Indian cuisine. The longer the yoghurt is drained, the firmer the finished dessert will be. The spiced sugar can also be used on baked apples and in a fruit crumble.
2Tbsp pistachios
Cover with boiling water and leave to soak 5 minutes. Rub off the skins and chop roughly.
1kg Greek style yoghurt
Drained overnight or longer, through cheesecloth or a tea towel.
Measure out 300g.
1tsp orange flower water
4Tbsp spiced sugar
Beat into yoghurt
Divide into 4 serving bowls and sprinkle with pistachios and pomegranate seeds or rose petals.
Spiced sugar
3 cloves
¼ tsp black peppercorns seed from 8 green cardamom pods
¼ t sp fennel seeds
Grind until fine in coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
¼ tsp cinnamon
200g caster sugar
Mix together and store remainder in jar with close-fitting lid.