pomegranate
A pomegranate is a deciduous shrub with beautiful
red flowers and red fruits. This shrub will grow
up to 6 meters high and becomes a small tree.
It looses it leaves during wintertime. In spring
it will form new leaves, together with the
flaming orange-red flowers.
pomegranate as a fruit
The thick skin around the pome granate prevents it
from drying out. The more red, the riper the edible
arils or seeds that can be found inside.
pomegranates propagation
The seeds of pomegranate germinate easely.
But to avoid seedling variation it is better
to use selected cultivars. This done by
hardwood cuttings , mostly about half
a meter long and dipped in Indole-3-butyric
acid, mostly called IBA to enhance
the growth of the roots.
pomegranates in India
The export of pomegranates from India has
declined due to the incidence of a disease
called bacterial blight.
India produces half the amount of the
worldproduction of pomegranates but exports
only very little pomegrantes.
pomegranates cultivars
In India the "seedless" cultivars, are becoming
more populair:'Bedana' and 'Kandhari'.
From the cultivars with seeds the 'Dholka'
is both productiv and produces large pomegranates.
pomegranate in pots
Ponateranate can easely grow in pots.
The cultivar Punica 'nana' is a smaller
shrub that grows in pots. Place the pot
in the full sun. Avoid frost, the trees
are sensitiv for frost.
soil for pomegranate
Pomegrenate prefer alkaline soil so
add some chalk.
Do not use fertilizer. Give youre
pomegranate well drained light soil.
pruning of pomegranate
Pruning is best done early in spring,
to remove frost damaged branches.
Prune out crossing and cared branches
so that light can enter the canopy
of the pomegranate.
A pomegranate flowerbud.
pomegranate seison
For Asia and India, the fruit is in season
from September to February.
pomegranate in history
First trace of pomegrade are found in Jericho,
about 4000 years BC, the bronze age.
The pomegranate is native to Iran, and has been
cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times.
The fruitarrived in India about the first
century A.D.From there it follows the Silk Road
to South China and in Southeast Asia.
That Silk Road also transported pomegranade
to Central Asia: Kandahar , Afghanistan,
is well known for its high quality
pomegranates.
pomegranate juice
Pomegranate juice is a popular drink in Persian
and Indian cuisine, and is becoming
more populair in the western world.
Grenadine is used at the base of this
Tequila Sunrise. Pour Tequila, ice and
orange juice in a high glass, shake it.
Tilt the glass and pour the grenadine
down slowly. Garnish with a straw and
a cherry-orange.
Pomegranate molasse
Pomegranate molasse is made by cooking the
juice into a sticky syrup. This is used by many
Middle-East duck and Chicken recipes.
The flavour is sweet tart and sour , just like
citron syrup.
Pomegranate molasse can be poured over a sorbet.
grenadine juice
Grenadine is sweetened and thickened pomegranate
juice. It plays a important role in the
iranian culinary world.
Nowadays grenadine is used as an ingredient
in cocktails, both for its flavor and
to give a pink tinge to mixed drinks.
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