Seasonal produce
When are pomegranates in season in the US?
UCCE Central Sierra says California’s best commercial pomegranate areas are its hot, dry interior valleys. UC Master Gardeners of Placer County say there is no way to ripen a pomegranate after harvest. Pick for color and a metallic tap — then store; waiting on the counter will not sweeten a picked fruit.
Pomegranate season at a glance
UC Master Gardeners of Placer County call early autumn — October and November — the ripe window for backyard trees, with timing tied to bloom and summer weather. Mid-October sits in that California season.
Where they grow
UCCE Central Sierra: in California, the best commercial areas are interior valleys with hot, dry summers that finish color and flavor; coastal summers are too mild for strong commercial fruit though plants can grow as ornamentals. The same page places commercial quality in arid regions of California, Arizona, and northern Mexico.
By variety
UCCE Central Sierra: Wonderful is the main commercial California variety and matures in late September and October. Granada is an early type grown widely in Tulare County and matures about mid-August. Foothill Early is described as similar to Wonderful but about 1 to 2 weeks earlier.
How to pick a good one
Placer County Master Gardeners, citing UC Davis: harvest when the fruit has developed a distinctive color and makes a metallic sound when tapped; size about a softball with bright/deep red or orange depending on cultivar. Ripe skin softens enough that a gentle fingernail scratch marks it; sides may look slightly squared as arils press the rind. Clip near the base — do not pull — so no stem stubs damage neighbors in the bin. Choose unsplit fruit if you plan to refrigerate for weeks.
They don’t ripen after picking
Placer County Master Gardeners: there is no way to artificially ripen a pomegranate after harvest. A hard, underripe rind will not sweeten on the counter the way a pear does.
How to keep them
Placer County Master Gardeners: whole fruit can be stored for several months in the refrigerator if you choose fruits without splits. Eat split fruit first. Placer County Master Gardeners note that rain on split fruit still on the tree can spoil it.
Recipes and related guides
Pair arils with other fall fruit on the October and November produce guides. See when cranberries and apples are in season, when persimmons are in season, and the produce checklist.
Recipes and related guides
October produce guide · November produce guide · When are cranberries in season? · When are apples in season? · When are persimmons in season? · When are Meyer lemons in season? · Produce checklist
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