At the end of summer, the unspectacular-looking fruits with leathery, cracked, irregularly red-colored skins appear in fruit shops - the pomegranate season begins. We can enjoy the he althy fruits all winter long.
When is pomegranate season?
Pomegranate season begins at the end of summer and lasts throughout winter, with the peak season being between September and December. The main producing countries are Spain, Turkey and other countries in the Mediterranean region.
Connoisseurs know that with a pomegranate - in contrast to the traditional apple - it is not the beautiful appearance that counts. The solid shell serves to protect the juicy, pressure-sensitive seeds with the bitter-sweet taste. The peel is usually reddish, light orange to yellowish or brownish in color and often spotted. The tastiest fruits often look anything but pretty from the outside.
Origin and distribution
The pomegranate tree is a very old fruit tree whose origin is believed to be in Western Asia and which is now grown in many countries with tropical and subtropical climates from southeastern Europe to the Himalayas. Punica granatum is a robust, small tree or shrub that prefers dry, sunny and warm conditions. Its fruits are harvested when fully ripe, they do not ripen.
Growing countries and harvest time
For the German market, the pomegranates come from the Mediterranean region, mainly from Spain and Turkey. The pomegranates are also imported from India, Peru, Iran, Israel, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Cyprus and Greece. The ripe pomegranates are harvested in the growing countries between June and December; the main season is between September and December. You can buy pomegranates from Turkey until early February.
Tips & Tricks
You can store the pomegranates at room temperature for a few weeks and even for a few months if refrigerated and with high humidity.