50 | SEPTEMBER 2 • 2021
eral cultures that pomegranates
were present in the Garden
of Eden and might have been
what tempted Eve instead of
the apple. (kew.org)
• In Sephardic homes,
a pomegranate often is on
the seder plate at Passover.
(food52.com, Rebecca Firsker)
• Fertility is a popular attri-
bute of pomegranates for many
cultures, including Chinese,
Turkish, Armenian and Middle
Eastern as well as for the
ancient Greeks and Romans.
(nocamels.com)
• In ancient Egypt, pome-
granates were thought to heal
intestinal disorders. Today, we
know they are full of antioxi-
dants and anti-inflammatories
that aid many ailments.
• Eaten whole or pressed
into juice, pomegranates lend a
tangy, floral flavor to a variety
of foods. Pomegranate molas-
ses, a common ingredient in
Iranian and Turkish cooking,
can be purchased at grocery
stores or online. (food52.com,
Rebecca Firsker)
• The skin of the pomegran-
ate has been used to tan leath-
er. Its flowers produce a vibrant
red dye for fabrics and its roots
yield a black dye. (Pomegranate:
A Global History by Damien
Stone)
Gathering the Seeds
The pomegranate, with its crown-like top, thick
skin and pith layers, makes retrieving the arils
nesting inside a challenge. Start with a fresh one
with smooth, glossy skin without cracks or bruis-
es, says Damien Stone in Pomegranate: A Global
History (2017). He offers two methods:
1. Cut off just enough of the crown to reveal the
pith. Score the skin downward in quarters and
place it in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes.
Hold the fruit underwater and break it into sec-
tions, separating the seeds from the pith. Seeds
will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Discard the
membrane and skin; wash the seeds and dry on
paper towels.
2. Cut the fruit in half and use a utensil to vig-
orously whack it on the skin side to dislodge the
seeds. This is effective, but messier.
A mosaic with
a basket of
pomegranates
was found at
an archaeo-
logical dig in
Israel’s west-
ern Negev
at the site of
the 6th-cen-
tury Maon
synagogue.
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ד”ראבישיטייכר
ROSH HASHANAH
continued from page 48
2021
May the coming year be filled
with health and happiness for
all your family and friends.
L’Shanah Tovah!
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