Taking ripe pomegranates from my tree, I contemplate if I'll forever be stuck spending half the year in the land of the dead. The fruit reminds me Persephone's life was forever changed by pomegranates . . . well that and the interference of family and low company.
these fruits were picked first
Persephone was snatched up by that saggy-chiton-wearing bad boy Hades, who drove her away in his sports chariot to the underworld where willows wept and no fruit grew but pomegranates. Poor lost desolate Persephone. Her mother, Demeter, Goddess of Harvest and Fertility (AKA Sexy EarthMother) was pissed off and wanted her daughter found and returned like ASAP. She mourned, started wearing mom jeans, and her hair whitened with anguish. Finally Persephone's father, Zeus (AKA Original Dude Baby Daddy), decided it was time to take action, but he had a condition: Persephone could only come home if she had kept her purity pledge. So, forced into action by Angry Sexy EarthMother, Dude Baby Daddy sent Hermes (AKA The Guy Who Gets Around) as a messenger to fetch Persephone and, upon arriving, found her radiant and thriving as Queen of the Underworld. Not lost and desolate. But she missed her mother. Hades comforted Persephone, and enticed her with tangy sweet juicy pomegranate seeds, which left her lips stained red. Slyly, he said "ta-ta for now my queen."
eat if you dare
Persephone returned back to the 'hood and Demeter's joy caused wild flowering, fruiting, and fertility fiestas. Ah, summer! But Demeter then remembered Zeus' caveat about Persephone's return. Oops. Her red-stained lips were a symbol of the lush life she'd embraced with that rascal Hades. She'd tasted forbidden fruit and must return to the underworld. But Zeus (such a guy) was uneasy about denying Demeter (no more wild fruiting, perhaps), so he decreed that Persephone would spend part of each year in the underworld with Hades and part of the year in the over-world with Demeter. No one bothered to ask Persephone what she wanted. But I like pomegranates and a tree came to me with my new home. So, I'm picking poms.
need a ladder for these fruits
Native to the area from southwestern Asia (Iran) to India, pomegranates also were grown extensively in the Mediterranean region, ancient Egypt, and Babylon. Spanish missionaries brought them to the Caribbean, Mexico and California in the 16th century. Taxonomists classify pomegranate in the Family Lythraceae, genus Punica, with two species: the widely cultivated, P. granatum, and P. protopunica, a smaller fruited pomegranate endemic to the island of Socotra in Yemen. Several varieties (including a dwarf used in bonsai) of P. granatum are available. The fruits have leathery red skins with pulp-covered seeds (called arils) inside separated into compartments by membranes. HERE is a Youtube video on how to deseed a pomegranate easily in a couple minutes. I can attest that this is a great method. Pomegranates are shrubs or small trees (need pruning to keep tree form) and require hot summers and cool (but not cold) winters, USDA Plant Zones 7-11. They are best suited to California and other southwestern states, plus some areas of the SE US. Flowering occurs in early summer and fruits are harvested in the fall (into early winter) but do not store well. Wikipedia reports "100-g serving of pomegranate seeds provides 12% of the Daily Value for vitamin C, 16% DV for vitamin K and 10% DV for folate." The arils once removed from the fruit can be frozen for later use or dried. Pomegranate arils are thought to be a good antioxidant and are the subject of 40 NIH Clinical Trials.
pomegranate tree
young pomegranate fruit with blossom remnant still attached
Besides eating handfuls of arils fresh, what else can you do with pomegranates? I toss them in salads, atop cooked curry, stir-fry, tacos and other Latina foods like chiles rellenos, tostadas, and garnachas. I especially love to make chiles en nogada, a seasonal dish from Pueblo, Mexico that uses both fresh (green) walnuts and pomegranate arils. This is not the recipe I use, but it is much easier than mine and isn't vegetarian. You can substitute other meats for the ground beef and probably should because chicken or pork are more traditional and savory. People use pomegranates in drinks (margaritas, lemonades, spritzers) and grenadine is made from fermented pomegranate juice. Pomegranate raita is easy and adds a lovely addition to other Indian food. Or try a new version of baked winter squash with a pomegranate glaze.
smiling pomegranate
When you go to buy a pomegranate, pick the one that's laughing,
that has its rind cleft, so that through its broken-open-ness you get some information about the seeds. . . . pomegranate-laughter is blessed, like the companionship of good people.
Even if you're a common rock, when you join them, you'll become a precious stone.
Keep the love of holy laughing in you. Don't visit sad neighborhoods. Let laughter lead you to the right people
-- Rumi; Excerpt from Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion
However you eat pomegranates, when harvesting follow Rumi's advice so even if you are a common rock, you will become a precious stone. Also, avoid bad boys driving chariots to sad neighborhoods (unless you're aiming to be Queen of the Underworld).
