Tag: fermenting

Heavenly Honey Fermented Pomegranate

The wheel of the year is definitely turning here in Maryland, and talking with my mother back home it seems Mabon definitely marked the start of autumn and it has come raging in with all its cold, wet and windy moodiness.  Thankfully just as the weather turns chilly and we are more prone to illness, Nature provides us with fresh, seasonal fruit that is packed full of vitamin C and all the other goodness we need to stay fit and healthy.  To be honest, this isn’t so much a recipe as a set of instructions, but the flavours and health benefits are phenomenal.  Technically this is a process that ferments the pomegranate in raw honey, but it’s so simple and all you need is a sterile jar, pomegranates (preferably organic) and raw honey.  It is vital the honey is raw because then it hasn’t been heat-treated and so has all of its amazing enzymes and anti-bacterial properties, and this will allow it to ferment rather than just amalgamate.  The recommended time to wait for it to mature is only 3-4 days.  I forgot mine and it became alcoholic – very tasty and slightly fizzy on the tongue!  I then forgot about it again for a few weeks (genuinely an accident) and it had matured out to a wonderful magickal flavour that balanced the slight sharpness of the pomegranates with the honeyed sweetness.  Once it’s ready a spoonful can be taken daily as a health boost, but it’s also delicious drizzled over ice cream, pancakes, cheesecake, as a dressing for a salad; the list goes on.  Because it’s fermented it also helps boost digestion and repopulates the gut with friendly flora which helps to not only ease bloating, IBS and other bowel-related conditions but also because you are digesting your food more efficiently you should see an increase in energy, skin condition and so on.  Finally thank you to my friend Becky for introducing me to this; she is a keen fermenter and what her and her friends don’t know about kefir, kombucha and the like just isn’t worth knowing!  If you’re interested in fermenting you can join her Facebook group, UK Fermenting Friends; she doesn’t mind where in the world you are, just have an open profile so they can keep it a spam-free group.

 

3-4 pomegranates, preferably organic

Enough raw honey to coat all the fruit, about 1/2 – 1 cup
  • Cut each pomegranate in half and, over a clean bowl, remove the seeds.  Take care to get rid of any pith, and there will be a lot of it if you are messy like me.
  • Clean your jar in hot soapy water and dry it using paper towel or a clean, lint-free tea towel.
  • Tip the pomegranate seeds into the jar, and pour over the raw honey.  Give it a shake or a gentle stir to make sure the honey has flowed over all the seeds and there are no pockets of air, because this means the air won’t get to it and cause it to ruin.
  • Seal the jar and pop it in a cool, dark cupboard for 3-4 days, giving it a gentle shake every now and then to mix the honey and juices together, then it’s ready to eat.
Magickal properties
Honey – a natural sweetener, so it is used in spells that help to sweeten the deal in your favour, or to sweeten someone’s attitude towards you, good when dealing with gossips.  It is also a classic offering for gods and goddesses or for the Fae, particularly when offered with milk.
Pomegranate – used for prosperity, protection, wisdom and fertility.  Often represents menstrual blood in rituals, so the juice can be used if you are squeamish about blood magick or unable to get hold of any ethically.

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