November is National Pomegranate Month, so here are 20 facts to help you celebrate this super fruit.
- The word pomegranate means “apple with many seeds.”
- The French word for pomegranate is “grenade,” which is where the name came from for the military grenade.
- Pomegranates are native to the Middle East.
- In the United States, the fruit is grown commercially in parts of Arizona and California.
- California produces over 90% of the pomegranates in the United States.
- In 2012 1,056 pomegranate farms were growing 32,887 acres of the fruit.
- They are in the berry family.
- There are over 760 varieties of the fruit.
- These super fruits are one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruit. They have a unique flavor, taste, and healthy traits.
- These fruit trees are grown in hot and dry climates.
- Pomegranate trees can live for over 200 years.
- The trees grow about 20 to 33 feet high
- The fruit can have between 200 and 1,400 seeds.
- It takes 6 to 7 months for the fruit to ripen after flowering.
- In California, the fruit is typically ready to harvest between August and November.
- The rind of the pomegranate can begin to crack open as it ripens. Growers have tried to fight cracking by harvesting fruit early, but pomegranates stop ripening once removed from the tree. Therefore, it is best to keep the fruit on the tree longer to obtain an ideal flavor.
- The pomegranates are both self-pollinated and cross-pollinated by insects.
- Generally, growers consider the fruit ready to be harvested if it makes a metallic sound when tapped.
- Pomegranates should be clipped close to the base to leave no stem that could cause damage to the fruit when being shipped. They should not be pulled off.
- The edible parts of the pomegranate are the seeds and the red seed pulp.
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Sources:
University of California
Purdue University
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center
That's It.com
Just Fun Facts
Tons Of Facts.com