Pomegranates in the 1940s and 50s

kittylester

I had them (amid great excitement) during the 50s. We ate the insides with a pin!

Yes, then someone told me they just cut them in half and chomped them! I was a child then.

They grow here in the UK, or did years ago.

My Grandma, born in 1904, ate pomegranates as a child.

I remember (vaguely!) my father coming home from town with one around 1949/50. He had been in Egypt and other various locations around the Mediterranean during the war and that was the first time he had seen them here in the North of Scotland.

Same as most others here, I had them as a treat in the 50s. I’m not sure that I particularly liked the taste, but the translucent red seeds were pretty and exotic, and getting them out with the pin was fun. No, pins were not provided, but everyone had pins at home.

Caleo

My father used to buy treats for me and my mother on Saturday evening after work. The treats included one pomegranate. This was during the 1930s.

During the war years pomegranates would not be available.

Yes they were available Caleo in 1940 because some folks started to grow their own.
I was 9 years old in 1939 when the war started and can well remember having a pomegranate in 1940 as a treat for not panicking when we were bombed out the first time.

It was a once a year treat at Christmas for me in the late 50's. I used to carefully get each seed out with a pin. As a child I thought the seeds surrounded by the flesh were like little jewels and would try to make them last.

I ate them with a pin (mother’s hobby was to sew) in the early 60s, always on bonfire night iirc. Imagine giving a child a sewing pin to eat nowadays!

I'm not sure about monetary status! I was brought up in the back streets of Birmingham and I saw a lot of kids with pomegranates. I had no idea what they were and never had one.

My father used to buy treats for me and my mother on Saturday evening after work. The treats included one pomegranate. This was during the 1930s.

During the war years pomegranates would not be available.

Yes they were available in the early 1940s when in season and were a treat for the children especially when taking the seeds out with a pin.

They originally came from abroad but the pomegranate bushes grew well in the UK climate in a nice sunny spot.

I never even saw a pomegranate growing up maybe it depended on where you lived or your monetary status we only ever had oranges apples and bananas

I would say they were available in the late 40’s.
I was born in 1937 and when the war ended the fun fairs started visiting the small towns and villages.
This is when I first saw pomegranates which as others have said we cut in half and picked out the seeds with a pin.
I am not sure we liked them actually but they were such a novelty we had to have them.

Just a thought, I can’t remember where the pin came from? Was it provided with the pomegranate or did we take the pin from home?

In the 50s I used to buy one every Saturday on the way to Saturday cinema, and like kitty ate them with a pin.

I never liked them, but bought one because every friend also bought them😄

We ate them with a pin in the 60’s, it was a bit of a novelty, I still like the seeds but on a salad now.

My Dad said he liked them as a treat when available in the 50's my Mum would buy them, they married 1953.
Yep eat with a pin.

Like kittylester they were a treat in the 50’s. Half a pomegranate and a pin lasted all afternoon! Just had to avoid the bitter membrane.

Only when a crate was accidentally dropped in the docks while being unloaded 😉

Thanks, it seems like they wouldn’t be after rationing etc, but that’s really interesting

They were, occasionally available in the 1950s.

I had them (amid great excitement) during the 50s. We ate the insides with a pin!

Certainly readily available in the greengrocers during early 70s.