This is what it looked like when it all came together.
We also had a black raspberry pie, as well as a pecan pie. Only one of which I tasted (because I love fruit pies).
Kelly provided some interesting facts about pomegranates (I love fun facts!):
Every pomegranate is composed of exactly 840 seeds, each surrounded by a sac of sweet-tart juice contained by a thin skin. The seeds are compacted around the core in a layer resembling honeycomb. The layers of seeds are separated by paper-thin white membranes which are bitter to the tongue.
The fruits are ripe when they have developed a distinctive color and make a metallic sound when tapped.
The pomegranate is equal to the apple in having a long storage life. It is best maintained at a temperature of 32° to 41° F. and can be kept for a period of 7 months within this temperature range and at 80 to 85% relative humidity without shrinking or spoiling. The fruits improve in storage, becoming juicier and more flavorful.
I also tried my hand at another recipe I found online for Pomegranate Grenadine. I was shocked to find that it was the central ingredient for the syrup that we all enjoy in Shirley Temples. I thought it'd be a nice addition to our beverage table, what with blackberry wine, water, and milk.
The recipe I had for the grenadine claimed it took about 10 minutes to prepare. That is, of course, after the time it takes to collect all of the seeds from the skin (a time consuming task). I enjoyed it, though, because I'd never handled this fruit before. Here is a picture of the process:
After 3 hours of peeling out the seeds, stirring them over a low flame, squeezing and pressing out the remaining juices through a very small hand-held strainer with the handle of an ice cream scoop (the only thing we had that closely resembled a pestle), and then adding sugar and stirring over the flame again - all I had was a cup and a half of sweet-potato-smelling red goo. It was not good and stunk to high heaven.
Leslie made fun of me mercilessly for wasting my time. But in all honesty, I didn't mind that much. I had nothing else to do and I had tried something new. It failed, but now I know not to do that again. I'll buy grenadine next time I need it.
The pomegranate experiment, however, with the pumpkin cake was pulled off with perfection. You should definitely try that. The pomegranate season lasts from October to January, I believe, so get one soon. And let me know what you think.
