Pomegranate

Punica granatum · Fruit

1 variety40 pairings

The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a leathery-skinned fruit packed with hundreds of jewel-like seeds, each sheathed in a translucent, juice-filled sac called an aril. Sweet-tart and astringent, the crimson arils pop and crunch, staining everything a deep ruby — eaten by the handful, scattered over dishes, or pressed into one of the world's oldest cultivated juices.

Picking a good onedrag

Heavy, taut, lately pickedLight, shrivelled, mould at the crown

Shop firmThe all-rounder: scatter raw, dress, press, or cook down to molasses.Everyday best

Weight in the handHeavy, still round and smooth

RindTaut but matte, brown scuffs and flecks

CrownCrown dry but open, edges darkened

Smell at the crownDry and papery, a little dusty

What to look for, from heavy, taut, lately picked to light, shrivelled, mould at the crown.

What one gives you

56%

Usable yield

282 g arils · rind and membrane off

504 g

Typical weight

one specimen

45%

Juice yield

about 450 ml a kilo

Keeping ittap a band

Below about 5 C the rind browns and pits and the arils lose their colour; a domestic fridge runs colder, so use the warmest shelf.

Humidity

90-95%

The leathery rind loses water fast and creases; keep it bagged or boxed. Bare on a dry fridge shelf it shrivels within a fortnight.

Airflow

Loosely wrapped, not sealed

A perforated bag or loose liner holds the moisture in. Sealed airtight, condensation collects at the crown and grey mould starts there.

Indifferent to ethylene

Non-climacteric: it makes almost no ethylene and is barely troubled by it. It will not sweeten further off the tree, nor hurry its neighbours.

Preparing