The pomegranate is ripe with symbolism. It is round. It is red. It is glossy. It is filled with seeds that bleed. It sports a crown. It has amazing red flowers. It is a tropical plant, but it can tolerate light frosts. And so, around the world, pomegranates are symbolic.
To insure fertility, throw a pomegranate against a wall.
In ancient Persia, their birthplace, pomegranates guaranteed fertility and fecundity.
In Armenia, the pomegranate represents fertility, family, and abundance.
A pomegranate, placed on the home altar will attract abundance, fertility, and good luck.
At Greek weddings, it is traditional to stomp a pomegranate into the ground.
"Many praises . . . on the pomegranate. . . the woman's beauty is likened to its
beautiful shape, its many seeds symbolize fertility, its delicious red juice figures as the lovers' nectar, and so lovely and odorous are its blooming flowers that they stand for
the awakening of spring and all loveliness." Exodus 28:33
Isfandiyar, a mythological Persian being, becomes invincible after eating a pomegranate.
Grooms eat pomegranates to ensure virility and many children.
October is pomegranate festival time in Tehran (Iran) and Goychay (Azerbaijan).
The pomegranate represents the sweetness of heaven. According to the Qu'ran, pomegranates
grow in the gardens of paradise.
A pomegranate is a mystical experience.
In ancient Greece, pomegranates were sometimes "the fruit of the dead," as they sprung, originally, from the blood of Adonis.
Pomegranates are favored by a great many Goddesses, including Hera, who holds one as an orb of office, the Earth Goddess Rhea, the moon goddess Cybele, the Ancient Ishtar, and, of course, Persephone.
In Sri Lanka, the pomegranate is said to be like a woman's mind: what is sweet is hidden, and it is not easy to know what is within the bitter rind.
Festive Pomegranate Cordial
It looks good. It tastes good. And it gets the hormones flowing. Watch out party!!
Freeze one whole ripe pomegranate for 2-3 hours. Cut in half with a sharp knife.
Then cut in quarters.
Remove seeds and arils (the red part) and discard the peel and membrane.
Freezing does make this step much easier but it also makes it juicier, so have a bowl of warm water handy for dipping your hands into, and keep the counter wiped, as pomegranate juice can stain.
Choose a jar slightly larger than you think you may need for the amount of pomegranate you have. Fill the jar no more than ¾ full with pomegranate arils and seeds. Add 100 proof vodka. Fill it to the level of the pomegranate, no further.
Then add 9-12 tablespoonfuls of sugar to the pomegranate/vodka mix. I used evaporated organic cane juice. But any sweetener could be used, including maple syrup, agave syrup, rice syrup, or honey. (Probably not molasses or buckwheat honey.)
Shake shake shake. Shake your cordial. The sugar does not want to combine with the vodka, so shake, shake, shake. Having Kwan Yin bless the brew helps, I am sure. .
Label and date. Continue to shake every hour or so, until the sugar finally dissolves. This may take several days of effort.
Your holiday cordial is ready to drink when you are, but the longer it sits, the better it tastes.