The pomegranate season started two weeks ago for the early varieties. "Depending on the variety, the season will last until the second half of October. There are 1,200 varieties of pomegranate, some of which produce bright red, pink, yellow, and green pomegranates that are just as good as the reds," explains Coralie Arnaud, pomegranate grower at l'Atelier d'Hyppolite. She has been cultivating pomegranates with her husband for 13 years in the Vaucluse department on just over 4 hectares, and she is also the treasurer of the France Grenade union. "We specialize in arboriculture and were looking to diversify. At the time, there was a magnificent pomegranate tree planted 50 years ago in my parents-in-law's garden, which gave us the idea to start growing pomegranates."
© France Grenade
An emblematic fruit produced in the Mediterranean basin
While the pomegranate may still be considered an exotic fruit, certain varieties are endemic to France and are produced throughout the Mediterranean basin. "We have producers in the Vars, Gard, Bouches-du-Rhône, and Drôme departments, all the way to the Pyrénées-Orientales. It is a very ancient fruit, represented in every culture and present in the three major religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The pomegranate is widely eaten by Muslims and Jews, and it is one of the emblematic fruits of the Jewish New Year. It is also the subject of many legends and has a very interesting history."
An increasingly popular "zero waste" fruit
Although the French still know very little about the pomegranate, its consumption has been increasing in France. "Pomegranates are widely consumed in juice, particularly for their antioxidant virtues, which are mainly generated by the white rind of the fruit, containing 90% of the antioxidants. The pomegranate can also be processed very well. The fruit is described as "zero waste." Molasses juice concentrate can be made from the juice, which can be used in the same way as balsamic vinegar. The by-products can then be used in animal feed, cosmetics, or vegetable dyes. Mouth-watering pomegranates, meanwhile, are becoming increasingly popular, although they are not yet fully democratized.
A crop that lends itself to organic production
Another advantage of the pomegranate is that this historic fruit, with its many virtues, is relatively easy to grow. "We are very lucky to have very few pests today, which means that pomegranates are easy to grow organically. It is an advantage because by encouraging biodiversity, we can naturally control the populations of the two main pests: aphids and mealybugs."
© France Grenade
Good prospects for the 2025 season
As far as the 2025 season is concerned, the harvest looks set to be a good one. "Compared with the previous season, which was affected by a wet spring, this year's harvest looks promising. Although we had 200 mm of water in 15 days, which could be a disadvantage for pomegranates, we were lucky because the fruit did not burst. The quality is good this year, with very good volumes."
French pomegranates: Still too little known about their origins
The France Grenade union, set up in 2023, has identified more than 80 producers who currently grow pomegranates on around 250 hectares. "But French production is bigger, given that not all growers are members of the union yet. More and more winegrowers are also turning to pomegranate cultivation, because it is similar to growing vines. Both grapes and pomegranates are harvested in September/October. Trials have been carried out on mechanical harvesting using a grape harvester, and the pomegranates can also be processed using the same tools used to make wine. The only downside is that people do not necessarily know that French pomegranates exist. Wholesalers and supermarket buyers tend to go for origins such as Spain, Israel, Turkey, and Iran, which are the world's 2 biggest producers in July, August, September, and October. The Latin American origins, such as Peru and Chile, then arrive on the market. The union's job is therefore to promote French pomegranates and make them better known among French consumers. The biggest challenge today is to create this market position for French pomegranates."
For more information:
France Grenade
[email protected]