Pomegranate question

I don't know whether this is the right place for this. If not, I'm sure someone will redirect me. :)

I moved into a house with pomegranate trees and this year there are tons of fruit. Is this edible? Are there ornamental pomegranates?

Thanks for any info.

Sarah

Yes it's edible. Enjoy. A picture would be a good idea if you're not sure what a pomegrante looks like.

Thanks, CoreHHI. I know they're pomegranates. I just didn't know whether they were edible. Do you know about harvesting them? Some are starting to fall from the trees, but others are a lovely red but are still on the tree.

Sarah

Not really sure but if some are falling off they are probably ready to be picked. Might try search for that question, it's probably been asked before. That question has been asked for just about every fruit know to man somewhere on DG. LOL.

Ok. I'll poke around and see if I can find the answer here.

Thanks.

Does this help?

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/pomegranate.html

"Harvest: The fruits are ripe when they have developed a distinctive color and make a metallic sound when tapped. The fruits must be picked before over maturity when they tend to crack open, particularly when rained on. 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.

The fruit can be eaten out of hand by deeply scoring several times vertically and then breaking it apart. The clusters of juice sacs are then lifted out and eaten. The sacs also make an attractive garnish when sprinkled on various dishes. Pomegranate fruits are most often consumed as juice and can be juiced is several ways. The sacs can be removed and put through a basket press or the juice can be extracted by reaming the halved fruits on an ordinary orange juice squeezer. Another approach starts with warming the fruit slightly and rolling it between the hands to soften the interior. A hole is then cut in the stem end which is placed on a glass to let the juice run out, squeezing the fruit from time to time to get all the juice. The juice can be used in a variety of of ways: as a fresh juice, to make jellies, sorbets or cold or hot sauces as well as to flavor cakes, baked apples, etc. Pomegranate syrup is sold commercially as grenadine. The juice can also be made into a wine."

Another link, this from Perdue University.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pomegranate.html#Harvesting%20and%20Yield

Thanks, snapple45. You're a font of knowledge!

Nah, I just know how to point, click, cut and paste. And, pomegranate is my absolute favorite fruit. If only I could grow one.

I can't take any credit for these. They were already established when I bought the house, although there seem to be many more fruits this year than last.

Enjoy one for me.