By Dennis Hinkamp
For most Utah consumers, pomegranates are the fruit that hides for 10 months of the year and then pops up like red Christmas ornaments in November. This makes them appear as a seasonal novelty, but they actually have a long history of use.
Ben Scow, Utah State University Extension faculty in Washington County and a promoter of pomegranates, shares pictures of pomegranates depicted in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Chinese murals when he gives presentations. The fruit is relatively new to Utah, likely brought here by Mormon pioneers in the 1800s.
“Pomegranates do well in the Washington County area because they are drought and heat tolerant and adaptable to rocky soils,” he said. “They can appear as a tree or a bush, depending on how they are pruned.”
Most people are familiar with the bright red Wonderful variety of pomegranates sold in supermarkets. It is also the name of the popular juice in a distinctive bottle: “Pom Wonderful.” The fruit and seed inside a pomegranate are called an aril. They vary in hardness, and there are no truly seedless pomegranates. Pomegranates can add color and texture to various dishes, and the juice can be used to make jelly and syrup.
“Right now, we are testing 23 varieties in Washington County plots,” Scow said. “We do public taste tests ranking them on appearance, sweetness, and seed hardness. The area has its own popular variety, Dixie Sweet, that came from early Mormon pioneers. This pomegranate has pink arils and yellow-to-pink rinds and is considered a sweet variety with soft seeds.”
Scow said spring is the best time to plant pomegranates in the Washington County area to ensure they have a full season to acclimate and go dormant.
“If you have pomegranates and will experience temperatures close to 15°F, cover the plants with a frost cloth or incandescent lights to produce heat to help prevent them from freezing and dying back to the roots,” he said. “If you experience temperatures below 10°F, pomegranates may not survive the winter in your area.”
Scow said pomegranates are ready to pick when the rind starts to elongate, creating flat spots on the sides when they are nearly ripe. Some will begin to split open on their own. Typically, pomegranates are at this stage (6-7 months after flowering) in the St. George area toward the end of October.
For Utah consumers who want information on preparing pomegranates, as well as those in southern Utah who want to grow them, see USU Extension’s playlist of videos on pomegranates, which includes:
Pomegranates: How and When to Pick