POMEGRANATES
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POMEGRANATES
The myth, magic, potency and intrigue of something seedy
By VIVIANA CARBALLO
THE MIAMI HERALD
(Published: Wednesday, November 01, 2000)
The alluring pomegranate is in season. For all its mysterious and exotic appeal, it is, without question, the most labor-intensive fruit in nature. As a result, it is less popular than it deserves, for it is also among the most beautiful of fruits, inside and out.
The pomegranate is mentioned 28 times in the Bible, is suspected of being the "apple" in the Garden of Eden and has 840 seeds, regardless of its size.
The Spanish Padres are credited with bringing the fruit to the California missions some 200 years ago.
This time of year, California's pomegranate growers are harvesting their beloved fruit. From fall to early winter, the nation's supply of pomegranates will come out of the San Joaquin Valley harvest between Fresno and Bakersfield.
The fruit thrives in the region's hot, dry summers; the area's pomegranate crop generated $21 million last year. Some of the thorny bushes can grow to a height of 15 or 20 feet, with long branches that bend gently with ripening fruit.
With its richly colored, leathery skin, the pomegranate is used by some as a seasonal item to display in a bowl, purely for decorative purposes. Too bad. It is the key ingredient in many tasty recipes.
Botanically, pomegranates are large berries. Believed to be native to ancient Persia, they have been cultivated for many thousands of years, and there are Greek and Roman as well as biblical references to the fruit. Long associated with fertility and abundance, the pomegranate was used in Phoenician religious rites and in many a love potion through time. Aphrodite herself, the Greek deity of love, is said to have planted pomegranate trees in Cyprus.
There are references to it in ancient literature.
There's this quote from the Song of Solomon in the Bible, "Thou art fair, my love, thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate within thy locks."
And it is frequently included in Greek mythology. There are stories about Zeus (who created the fruit), Aphrodite (who planted the first seeds) and Persephone (who ate six pomegranate seeds that condemned her to spend six months of the year in Hades).
The pomegranate perhaps achieved its greatest recognition through the celebrated exchange between Romeo and Juliet in which Juliet insists that it wasn't the lark but the nightingale that "sang on yon pomegranate tree."
About the size of an orange, the pomegranate has a thin skin with color ranging from red to yellowish pink. Each one contains those 840 brilliant, rubylike red seeds, translucent and shiny. The seeds are tiny and juicy with a sweet-tart taste that is quite distinctive and delicious.
The only problem is that the seeds are encased in a protective membrane that doesn't want to let go. And pomegranate juice stains -- more than grass, more than mango, more than tea, more even than saffron.
So if you decide to reveal its well-kept secrets, you may first wish to don your slicker and surgical gloves (or at least put on old clothes). Place a large bowl with water in the sink, then cut off the crown end of the pomegranate. Lightly score the rind several times, immerse the fruit in water and soak it for a few minutes.
Holding the fruit under water, break the sections apart, using your index fingers to separate the seeds from the membrane. The seeds will sink. The membrane and rind will float; skim and discard them. Pour the seeds into a colander, drain and pat dry.
The fruit is used amply in Turkish and Middle Eastern cooking. Curiously enough, it is an integral component of the national dish of Mexico, "chiles en nogada," a poblano pepper stuffed with seasoned minced meat surrounded by a white walnut sauce and garnished with pomegranate seeds -- the green, white and red of the Mexican flag.
Available from October through December, pomegranates are rich in potassium and vitamin C. Choose fruit that is heavy for its size and free of blemishes. You may refrigerate it for up to two months, and the seeds, once separated, may be frozen. A medium-size fruit yields about three-fourths cup of seeds or half a cup of juice. (To juice, process the seeds in a blender until liquefied, and strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.)
Out, damned spot
Two reasons the pomegranate has not become more popular:
Too tough to get the seeds out.
Too tough to get the stains out.
Not everybody is up to the challenge, but fans have evolved several ways of unraveling the two-headed monster without radically altering the decor of their homes or their clothing. The juice can squirt out all over the place, which made the ancient Chinese claim that the only way to eat pomegranates was in the bathtub. Current wags suggest wearing red when tackling it. Others say, don't avoid pomegranates, avoid clothing.
Bust open red, ripe and juicy pomegranate
Pomegranate lovers recommend this method for getting at the seeds:
Slice off the crown end of the fruit and lightly score it vertically into quarters.
Immerse the fruit in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. While holding fruit under water, break sections apart, separating seeds from membranes. The pith will float and the seeds will sink. Skim off and discard membranes and rind. Pour seeds into a colander, drain and pat dry.
PLAN B: Or you can place the halved fruit on your palm, cut side down, and whack it with a knife handle. The seeds should fall into your hand.
"PS": If you want to juice a pomegranate, cut it in half and squeeze it on a plastic or glass orange juicer (not metal); the juice will spatter, so be careful. Some suggest first rolling the whole fruit around on a hard surface to release the juice from the sacs. Pierce a hole in the skin and suck out the juice or squeeze into a glass.
AVOID ...: Pomegranates that are cracked, unshapely or sunburned and unsuitable for shipment are usually crushed by growers to make juice and concentrates.
GRENADINE: A syrup that once was exclusively made from pomegranates, grenadine today is made from secret formulas using different fruits. This aromatic syrup is used in a sauces and glazes, but is most popular as a cocktail ingredient.
BUY: When buying, choose pomegranates that are large and heavy for their size and bright-skinned. Avoid dull, shriveled ones with splits in the skin.
If kept refrigerated, whole pomegranates can last as long as two months. However decorative they may be, experts don't recommend leaving them at room temperature because they get leathery, dry and dehydrated.
Pomegranate seeds are good eaten out of hand or sprinkled over salads, waffles or pancakes. Use the juice to color and flavor lemonade, meringue or whipped cream, to pour over pear or apple slices, or to make Pomegranate Pink Jade
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