How to properly store pomegranate at home

Pomegranate is a seasonal fruit, and also an imported one. Our country is supplied from warm countries, where the harvest is harvested from September to January. In this article we will tell you in what form to store pomegranates so that they remain fresh longer, and how to do it correctly.

Features and basic rules for storing pomegranate

The main principles of proper storage of pomegranates:

• fresh fruits require moderate levels of humidity, ventilation, and stable temperature conditions;
• It is better to freeze in vacuum packaging, it is advisable to store in this form for no more than a year, and defrost slowly;
• keep canned food in a cool place away from direct sunlight;
• Store dried berries in a dry and dark place.

Selection and preparation of fruits

In order for fruit to be stored at home for as long as possible, you need to carefully select the fruit.

The optimal time to buy for future use is from November to January. It is during this period that the largest selection of imported fruits is available.

The pomegranate must be ripe. A fruit picked early is not always able to ripen, which means its taste will be far from expected. External factors of fruit ripeness:

• there should be no greenish areas in the inflorescence area, the crown itself looks dry;
• the peel is slightly dried out with a slight gloss and looks as if it is hugging the grains;
• When pressing on the surface, a slight crunching sound is heard.

The color of the skin of different varieties of pomegranate varies from greenish-yellow to burgundy.The color of the grains is varied: from almost transparent, like glass, to dark ruby.

The selected fruits should have no signs of rot, damage to the skin, brown or brown spots, or crushed sides.

If the pomegranate is soft, most likely it is frozen, rotten from the inside or damaged during transportation.

For storage, choose fruits with a diameter of 8-10 cm, dense, juicy and heavy - up to 500 g each.

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How to properly store pomegranate

To preserve the taste and beneficial qualities of the fruit, it is important to provide it with optimal conditions:

• constant temperature within +1…+2°C;
• good ventilation;
• Humidity level within 80%.

Under such conditions, the fruit remains fresh for several months.

Attention! At +1...+2°C, sour varieties can be stored for up to 9 months, and sweet varieties for up to 5.

Where to store

It is difficult to ensure a constant temperature close to zero. But depending on the condition of the fruit, their storage in whole or processed form, as well as the purposes of further use, different places are chosen:

• balcony;
• cellar or basement;
• fridge;
• freezer;
• room.

What to store in

Pomegranate seeds are very juicy, and the thick peel prevents moisture evaporation. To further slow down the dehydration process, there are the following methods:

1. Pour clay diluted to the consistency of sour cream into the crown (place of the inflorescence). After waiting for the solution to dry, send it for storage. Crust will gradually dry out, but the grains will remain juicy. This method allows you to increase the storage period of fruits in a refrigerator or cellar to 4-5 months, whereas without clay the shelf life is limited to 2 months.
2. Wrap each fruit in paper. It will not only slow down the process of moisture evaporation, but also prevent rotting. Change the paper as it gets wet to prevent rotting or mold.

Storage methods

Depending on the purpose of further use, the product is stored in different forms.

Entirely

If you like to eat fresh fruit grains, store them whole in the refrigerator, loggia, pantry or basement.

You can also freeze the whole fruit, and after defrosting, use it for cooking or squeeze the juice out of it.

In the form of grains

If you plan to use the grains in the next 1-2 days for eating, adding to salads, baking, or decorating dishes, prepare them in advance and store them in the refrigerator.

If the pomegranate is spoiled and had to be peeled, you can store the berries for a longer period in the freezer.

In the form of juice

Pomegranate juice itself is very tasty. It serves as the basis for preparing mousses, jellies, sauces and other dishes. Store both freshly squeezed and sterilized juice. Storage methods and periods vary.

Features of storing peeled and unpeeled fruits

At room temperature and in the refrigerator, whole fruits store better and longer than peeled grains. The peel is removed immediately before use.

For storage in the refrigerator or on the balcony, it is best to choose large fruits so that they lose moisture more slowly. If the pomegranates are different sizes, store the large ones separately from the medium ones, and use the small ones as quickly as possible or freeze them.

In the freezer, the fruit, both as a whole and in disassembled form, is stored for the same long time. Whole fruits are washed only if necessary. It is enough to wipe them dry with a towel.It is better to freeze small or medium-sized specimens so that the freezing process goes faster and more evenly.

To save space, place already-hulled grains in the freezer. It is not recommended to wash them. For convenience, immediately place them in portioned bags or containers.

Important! Thaw pomegranates slowly, preferably on the top shelf of the refrigerator. This way the fruit will be preserved beneficial features and it won't leak. Repeated freezing is unacceptable.

Recycled storage

Pomegranates are not only consumed fresh. Juices, wines, syrups, jams, sauces, pastilles are prepared from it, and added to seasonings.

Drying

To create a popular seasoning in India, grains are dried in the sun for a week, which are then roasted and ground. Often the spice is supplemented with dry ground pomegranate peels. This seasoning is called anardana. It is added to any vegetable and legume dishes, and kebab is also marinated in it.

Important! Pomegranate peel contains more nutrients than grains. In India and Central Asia, sauces, spices, tinctures are made from dry peel powder and are actively used in folk medicine.

Freezing

You can freeze the whole fruit, its grains or squeezed juice. To do this, simply place a whole pomegranate or peeled grains in a zip-lock bag and remove excess air from there. And the juice is frozen in disposable ice cube trays and taken out as needed to prepare sauce, compote, ice cream, jelly or marshmallows.

Reference. Vacuuming promotes better preservation of products and prevents the appearance of “snow” when frozen. The air is removed from the zip bag with its contents by gradually lowering it into water.She squeezes out the remaining bubbles, after which she carefully closes the zip and dry the surface of the bag.

Canning

Long-term storage products are jams, preserves, syrups, sauces and compotes. While receiving gastronomic pleasure, you simultaneously saturate your body with vitamins, minerals and amino acids, which the fruit is rich in even after heat treatment.

Attention! If you happen to have a sour pomegranate, using the evaporation method you can get a rich, viscous and aromatic narsharab sauce - an ideal seasoning for meat and fish dishes.

Shelf life

The period during which the fruit retains its beneficial qualities and rich taste depends on temperature, humidity and ventilation. In the absence of dampness, temperature becomes the deciding factor.

How long can pomegranate be stored at different temperatures:

• from -15 to -24°C – up to 1 year;
• from +1 to +2°C – from 5 to 9 months (for sweet and sour varieties, respectively);
• from +4 to +8°C – up to 2 months;
• from +18 to +25°C – 7-14 days.

How long can hulled grains be stored?

• from -15 to -24°C – up to 1 year;
• from +4 to +8°C – up to 4 days;
• from +18 to +25°C – 1 day.

Freshly squeezed juice is stored at temperatures from +4 to +8°C for up to 3 days.

Sterilized juice, compote, jam, syrup or boiled sauce:

• from +4 to +8°C – up to 1 year;
• from +18 to +25°C – up to 6 months.

Dried pomegranate is stored at temperatures from +18 to +25°C for up to 1 year in a dark, dry place in an airtight container or thick paper bags.

Important! If you store whole fruits in the refrigerator, on the balcony or in the cellar, inspect them regularly. If there are signs of spoilage, peel the fruit, remove damaged and rotten parts, process or freeze.

Useful tips

The following tips will help keep pomegranates fresh longer:

1. Wrap the fruit in parchment to preserve its juiciness and prevent rotting from moisture accumulation.
2. Place the pomegranates in the box in one layer. This will provide ventilation, uniform humidity and make it easier to access them to monitor their condition.
3. Avoid sudden temperature changes or drops to 0°C.
4. Check your supplies regularly to identify fruits that have begun to spoil and remove them promptly.
5. Store fruits of different sizes separately.

Conclusion

We have the power to stock up on tasty and healthy fruits and preparations for the whole family until the next harvest. The main thing is to provide them with air circulation, optimal temperature and humidity. This requires very little effort, but will significantly enrich the diet and diversify the table, which is especially important in early spring, when the body lacks vitamins.