Pomegranate time

Bep Al·lès/Ciutadella - The pomegranate is one of the most precious fruits of autumn, its healing virtues make it an increasingly valued and consumed fruit. On our island, pomegranate seeds were eaten as desserts accompanied by sugar, cinnamon powder and sweet wine or muscatel. Sour pomegranate sauce was also made, with those non-sweet specimens, once squeezed and passed through a sieve, the juice was kept, which was weighed and a thick molasses was made with the same amount of sugar and which, after steeping this sauce used to be kept until Christmas when it served to accompany the turkeys in the oven and above all the roasted pigs.

Its scientific name tells us its origin and location, Púnica, which is where Carthage was, and granatum because it has grains, and from there it was cultivated throughout the Mediterranean and Asia, first, and then the conquest of America, was brought to the new continent.

It is a strong tree, which can withstand temperatures of up to 15 degrees below zero and is very resistant to drying, so it is very common to find it in our country. In fact, in the past, almost every house had a pomegranate tree in its yard. There are pollen records that indicate that the first settlers of the island of Menorca already knew it and as some authors say, initially the pomegranate tree must have been both a food resource and a sacred plant, due to the particular shape of the flowers and fruits. In fact, it has traditionally had other uses beyond the fruit, from windbreaker to medicinal tree.

Pomegranates in the kitchen

It is one of the typical sweet fruits of autumn. The pomegranate is often used in the preparation of desserts; it is very showy, providing an elegant touch to the fruit salad. It also combines perfectly with ice creams, yogurts and cheeses. An example is the pomegranate with sweet or muscatel wine, which is typical of Menorcan and Mallorcan cuisine. Pomegranate seeds can also be used to prepare jams and jams, as well as sour pomegranate sauce, one of the oldest in our kitchen, which is a pomegranate dressing that was kept for great celebrations and was the accompanied by baked pigs, capons, hens and turkeys. This sauce also accompanied the roasts at the Christmas and New Year parties.

Pomegranate juice is the very popular grenadine in North Africa and Middle Eastern countries. Grenadine is also used as an ingredient in some cocktails.

Pomegranate juice was very common in Menorca in the 18th century, the clergyman Lindemann tells us in his "Description of the island of Menorca" that the Menorcans are fond of drinking pomegranate juice, which on the one hand helps to reduce fevers and is also very refreshing.

There was also the popular belief that on the days close to All Saints' Day, for every pomegranate seed eaten, a soul was saved from purgatory.