A simply special sip
A lovely, easy way to create a special drink during the winter is to add a tablespoon or so of fresh plucked pomegranate jewels to a glass of crisp, cold wine.
I love the deep ruby~red color and the fruity~crunchy taste of the lovely pomegranate jewel, and I find them to be a beautiful, delicious layer of them at the bottom of a glass of cold Chablis in the mid of winter.
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| Pomegranate jewels in Chablis |
I find them to be quite a treat in a rose Sancerre as well (this is a nice dry choice from Henri Bourgeois, grande reserve 2003). The light tannin of this wine was the perfect balance to these fruity jewels.
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| Pomegranate jewels in a rose Sancerre |
You can buy jewels pre-plucked from Trader Joes or other groceries. But, when I have bought them, I find that so many of them go bad quickly. It’s not that hard to do yourself.
Here’s a simple method: Score the outer flesh into quarters (from the crown to the base). Then gently separate the quarters (with a little force). Fill a mixing bowl with cool water in the sink (this is how you keep the juice from flying everywhere). Place a quarter into the bowl of cool water and gently break off the skin and the membrane, use your thumb to break loose all of the jewels. Toss the excess skin and membrane into the sink. When you have finished, reach down into the water and gently break away any membrane still connected to the jewels. The white membrane will float in the water and can be skimmed off the top. Scoop out the jewels and allow them to drain on a layer of paper towels. Refrigerate them in a covered dish, with a layer of paper towels beneath the jewels. Repeat the process with the other quarters.
To learn more about how to extend the life of pomegranates and why I love to use them in Pavlovas, click on the title below.
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| Pomegranate Jewels, Splendid Market |
Here’s some fascinating historical information on these beauties. I hope you enjoy this portion of an article from NPR called Jewels in the fruited crown.
“One of the earliest cultivated fruits, the pomegranate has been traced back as far as 3,000 B.C. Some scholars even suggest that it was a pomegranate, not an apple, that tempted Eve.
In their long history, pomegranates have been linked to health, fertility and rebirth. They figure prominently in many religions and are found in art and literature.
King Tut and other ancient Egyptians, for example, were buried with pomegranates in hopes of a second life. The fruits are said to have been a favorite of the prophet Muhammad, and in Islam, the gardens of paradise hold pomegranates.
In the Judeo-Christian Bible, Moses tells the Israelites they are going to a land of pomegranates (among other things.) Paintings often show the Virgin Mary or the infant Jesus holding a pomegranate. The Greek goddess Persephone’s taste for the pomegranate resigned her to several months a year in the underworld.
Pomegranates are mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, and Juliet tells Romeo the night is young since it is the nightingale — and not the lark — that is “singing in yon pomegranate tree.”
No wonder the pomegranate wears its own little crown”.
