It seems we don’t see pomegranates around very often. And when you want them, they are out of season. So let me tell you when and where to find these ruby red, juicy fruits. The season is very short. It comes around early fall thru late January. California grows most of the pomegranates sold for commercial use in restaurants and juices or picked fresh for the Farmers’ Markets. If you have never tried a pomegranate before, it is definitely an intimidating fruit to begin with. But once you get to open it up, you will enjoy the sweetness. It is round in shape, and it carries the sweetest ruby red seeds inside. You can use the seeds to juice, throw the seeds in a salad or as how my kids like to eat them, as a snack.
Pomegranate trees need plenty of heat to grow and ripen the fruit. Pomegranates do not ripen easily after they are picked, and yet bruise easily when ripe. A lot of commercial pomegranates are picked under- ripe due to shipping concerns. You most likely will get the freshest/ tree ripened fruit, direct from our farmers, at your local farmers markets. Here at the Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Markets, you can find pomegranates throughout our four markets and also juiced from our vendor, La Juguera Juicery. Enjoy them before the season is gone!