Pomegranate liquer

Every New Year's Day morning Greek families wait impatiently for a knock on the door. The first person who will walk into the house the first day of the year should bring good luck and prosperity enclosed into a pomegranate. The lucky visitor breaks the pomegranate at the doorstep and the more seeds are spilled the better luck the household will have the entire year.

Pomegranate tree gives its fruits from September through February. If we save one or two for New Year's Day, what should we do with the rest? Pomegranate liquer to treat the guests of course!

First the hard part: juicing the pomegranate. Bear in mind that the juice might seem delicious, but it leaves dark stains on the hands, so wear latex gloves to handle them.

Generally there are three ways to get the juice out of the fruit. You can crack the fruit open and take out all the seeds in a sieve, squeeze the seeds and collect the juice. A more simple way is just to cut the fruit in half and squeeze it with a citrus squeezer. That might leave a bitter aftertaste to the juice. Alternatively, you can seed the pomegranate, pulp the little rubies using a blender and strain the juice with a sieve.

For the liquer you need 330 ml pomegranate juice, which you might get from 4-5 big pomegranates.

As for the alcohol used in the process, Greeks produce their own, usually in October when the grape harvesting is coming to an end. For example, in Crete a delicious alcoholic beverage, called raki, is produced, while in the Greek mainland another strong alcohol, called tsipouro is extracted. Housewives use those alcoholic extracts for their pomegranate liquer. However, since it is hard and expensive to find those in other countries, Russia can provide a solution. Vodka is an equally good and strong alcohol to make our paradisiac beverage.

Ingredients
From the garden             From the pantry                  From the booze cellar 
4-5 big pomegranates      250gr sugar                            1lt good quality vodka
      juiced                       1lt water
                                      1 cinnamon stick

Boil the sugar and the water in low heat until you get a light syrup. Remove from heat and let it cool in room temperature.

In a clean glass bottle, put the pomegranate juice and the syrup. Lift its spirit by adding the vodka. Spice it up with the cinnamon stick. Mix well.

Let the magic potion still for 3 months to allow the ingredients to blend and exchange their aromas. It is worth the wait!

After 3 months strain the liquer and put it in a nice bottle. Take a sip and taste this amazing liquor. Store it in a cool place.

Serve it to your guests in shot glasses or experiment with creating incredible cocktails.
 

The rubies of Persia

If you think that the wealth of Iran lies only underground in the form of oil, you might be mistaken. Persia gave humanity its rubies in the form of a delectable fruit called pomegranate.

Ripe pomegranate on the tree

 

Its cultivation began from the Middle east, but spread all around the world, so that it can be found today on every continent in regions where the climate is warm. Its name probably came from the combination of two Latin words: pomum meaning 'apple' and granatum meaning 'seeded'. Thus the seeded apple was named after its enormous amount of red seeds enclosed into its leather like skin.

Persephone tasting the pomegranate. From the cover of the book
Persephone and the pomegranate: A myth from Greece
by Kris Waldherr (1993)

Culturally the pomegranate is featured in many religions and ancient texts. Ancient Greek mythology claims that Hades, the king of the underworld, bound Persephone under the spells of sweet fragrant pomegranate.  In addition, according to legend, the tree was growing in the famous Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Budhists consider the pomegranate as one of the three sacred fruits, along with peach and citrus, while the Quran promises a garden of pomegranate trees in the afterlife of Muslims.
And how can it not be part of Heaven? If you crack open the skin of a pomegranate, a river of ruby seeds burst out.  When the fruit is ripe, its taste is sweet, with a pleasantly tangy aftertaste.
This paradisiac fruit is the well hidden secret of superfoods. It contains so many substances that are beneficial for health that the fruit itself is a medicine. It contains vitamins, especially vitamin C, in large quantities. It also contains calcium and iron. So, if a bowl of lentils, also rich in iron, does not please your palate, try a bowl full of succulent pomegranate seeds. Pomegranate is rich in anti-oxidants. As a matter of fact it contains more anti-oxidants than red wine or green tea. Plus, it is good to avoid muscle cramps, as it contains a good amount of potassium. Those are only a few of the beneficial substances contained in a pomegranate. In general, consuming this fruit can drop the arterial pressure, fortify the immune system and prevent cardiovascular diseases. It even helps against depression. And seriously, who can feel depressed after tasting these heavenly crimson seeds? 

In the kitchen it gives a special touch to pastries, as well as savory dishes. My friend Despina mixes it in greens and makes a delectable salad. Especially, if a couple of Tablespoons of pomegranate are mixed with arugula, the result is unique, as the sweet taste of pomegranate is balancing the bitter taste of the herb.
In Greece, traditional home cooks make the most delicious marmalades of pomegranate. Add that as a topping to a cheesecake, in a modern take, and you have an exciting desert. More commonly, Greek cooks make pomegranate liquer, which is sweet flavored and very aromatic. Good mixologists know that the original grenadine is made of pomegranate, whose aroma and tarty nature give an amazing flavor and a vivid color to cocktails, such as Tequila Sunrise.

Whether it is used in pastries, mixed with alcohol, tossed in a salad or consumed raw, pomegranate is just a small taste of heaven. Its color travels you to the far gardens of the East, its flavor circles you around the world and its tarty texture brings you back to the ground with your soul fully satisfied and your health totally benefited.