A few days ago I collected 5 different varieties and my household (3 people total) tasted and rated the fruit. They rated each variety and assigned values with 1 being the best. All poms were ripe. The size of each fruit was approximately in the median , i.e., a few were larger and a few were smaller but this size was the most common. The trees are growing in ground and have been producing for several years already, they are 4-6 years old. All are soft seeded. The heaviest were Sirenevyi (490 g) and Desertnyi (495 g).
I added a few comments too:
The Angel Red was the worst as you see. It wasn't good in my climate (or is not as good as the others in general). As my wife said, compared to the rest, "it had no redeeming features." The arils were hard to remove, it had the least of juice, and the taste had a bitter aftertaste.
Sireneviy was in a different category. It was very sweet. Comparing it to the rest is like comparing Japanese Plum Wine to Pinot Noir. They are both good but so different.
Desertnyi was slightly sweeter than Parfianka and Vkusnyi but I think it's because is a bit earlier variety and was slightly riper. But all 3 were excellent and the difference between 1, 2, and 3 were much smaller than between them and Angel Red.
I am also showing 2 different Parfianka fruits, from the same tree but from the sunny and shaded sides. They taste almost the same but look different.
The fruit with darker arils had more sun exposure and was slightly sweeter.
Taste rating of 5 different varieties
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chiledegarcia
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2022 2:36 pm
- Location: 9b La Sierra-Riverside, CA
Re: Taste rating of 5 different varieties
It's my first day registered here. I'm a new and beginner fan of pomegranates. My home that I purchased in Riverside, California came with only one tree/bush/hedge in the backyard and it's a pomegranate. I believe its the Wonderful variety. I purchased Parfianka and Erin in 1 gallon from Laguna Hills Nursery a few days ago. This is my firsts steps to the journey.
Greenfig- Thank you for sharing your feedback and beautiful photos. Those pomegranates look delicious.
Greenfig- Thank you for sharing your feedback and beautiful photos. Those pomegranates look delicious.
Re: Taste rating of 5 different varieties
Congrats! You have a perfect climate for these beauties .chiledegarcia wrote: Wed Sep 21, 2022 2:58 pm It's my first day registered here. I'm a new and beginner fan of pomegranates. My home that I purchased in Riverside, California came with only one tree/bush/hedge in the backyard and it's a pomegranate. I believe its the Wonderful variety. I purchased Parfianka and Erin in 1 gallon from Laguna Hills Nursery a few days ago. This is my firsts steps to the journey.
Greenfig- Thank you for sharing your feedback and beautiful photos. Those pomegranates look delicious.
Unfortunately, I suggest you return or ditch Erin. I had it for 2 years and its fruit is insipid, you will have lots of time taking care of it but it's not worth it, sorry.
USDA z 10a, SoCal, near Los Angeles
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chiledegarcia
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2022 2:36 pm
- Location: 9b La Sierra-Riverside, CA
Re: Taste rating of 5 different varieties
Thank you. I'll check with LHN about a return or credit towards something else. Good looking out on the Erin.
Re: Taste rating of 5 different varieties
We should start a spreadsheet and begin publish varieties that are not worth keeping to save everyone the time investment. I've started a list tracking attributes mostly from a cold hardy and early ripening perspective, but it would be nice to get input from regions where practically any varieties can be grown to full maturity.greenfig wrote: Wed Sep 21, 2022 5:55 pm Unfortunately, I suggest you return or ditch Erin. I had it for 2 years and its fruit is insipid, you will have lots of time taking care of it but it's not worth it, sorry.
PS: This is a fantastic post. I plan to share this with some local growers who have taken an interest in some of the varieties you wrote about.
- alanmercieca
- Posts: 224
- Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2019 3:59 pm
- Location: North Carolina
Re: Taste rating of 5 different varieties
Also in a container verses in the ground, that can make a huge difference, stored inside during the winter verses stored outside during the winter that can make a huge difference.pombazaar wrote: Wed Sep 21, 2022 8:46 pm
We should start a spreadsheet and begin publish varieties that are not worth keeping to save everyone the time investment. I've started a list tracking attributes mostly from a cold hardy and early ripening perspective, but it would be nice to get input from regions where practically any varieties can be grown to full maturity.
PS: This is a fantastic post. I plan to share this with some local growers who have taken an interest in some of the varieties you wrote about.
Some pomegranate cultivars have much better fruit in short growing seasons than others, and many produce too late to produce in a short growing season. The NYC project that I helped to start, most of what will be test grown in that project will be cultivars that should be able to survive in ground, and that should be able to crop in the ground, of course that is not test growing them for real in containers in NYC.
Many of the cultivars that would be chosen as the best choices for a Mediterranean type of California climate most likely could not produce or survive in NYC. That is where hybridization could make things more interesting in NYC. Making cold hardy cultivars that resemble the very best cold sensitive cultivars

