Pomegranates are thought to be the original forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. They are thought to have originated in Iran, which today, is the second highest producer of the fruit. Pomegranates do well in a hot, dry climate so they thrive in California and Arizona. Last year we planted about 60 Pomegranates: Wonderful and Utah Sweet. The Wonderful pomegranates are the traditional fruit you might find in your local grocery store. They have bright red skin, and deep ruby fruit that is sweet and tart. Utah Sweet has a lighter pink skin, and inside, the fruit is whitish pink with a sweet flavor. 
Top: Wonderful. Bottom: Utah Sweet.
Of course, most are familiar with pomegranate juice, or simply eating the fruit but in India, the seeds are harvested from the fruit and toasted or seasoned and used as a spice, or in a trail mix.
I was first introduced to pomegranates in the backyard of our first house. The tree must have been at least 20 years old. It was big and strong enough for an 8 year old me, and 6 year old sister to climb and lounge in it’s branches while gorging ourselves on its bright red berries until our lips and chins were stained pink. It was loaded with fruit in early fall; more than we could pick and eat. My Dad planted it when he and his mom bought the house next door in 1968. The tree sat on the very side of the yard between the two properties, very near to the playhouse he built for us out of reclaimed railroad ties. We would follow the hand-laid reclaimed brick walk (bricks taken from the demo-ed Santa Monica Library), over a covered bridge (wood from a burned building), to our little playhouse with the Dutch door, and yard full of edible landscape.
I was wishing my own children would now enjoy a similar memory when we took them to the pomegranate orchard we planted this past winter.
I don’t think my memories live up to their expectations. Oh well. They still have a few more years to find their own happy memories.
Leave a Reply