Pomegranate (Punica granatum) GULOYSHA

Guloysha is the most famous and valuable Azerbaijani pomegranate variety, renowned for its excellent taste and high quality juice. This variety is destined not only for fresh consumption, but especially for the production of top quality juices. It comes from the Şirvan region, which, thanks to its unique microclimate and soil conditions, is one of the most ideal places in the world for growing pomegranates.

Guloysha grows as a medium-sized, naturally branched deciduous shrub with finely spiny shoots and grows to a height of about three metres. It is long-lived and can live for several centuries under the right conditions. In wine-growing areas, planting in open soil is recommended, but it can also be grown as a container plant in large pots. It thrives best in a sheltered, sunny position in deep, permeable, nutrient-rich soil.

During flowering, which takes place from May to June, bright orange flowers bloom on the plant. The variety is self-pollinating. Guloysha fruits are large, round in shape and weigh approximately 300 to 400 grams. Their skin is crimson red, often with distinctive stripes, and they contain seeds with a fine texture which are not disturbing when eaten. The juice of this variety is dark burgundy, with an excellent sweet and sour taste. It contains 1,3 % acids and up to 15,5 % sugars, with a seed juice yield of up to 54 %.

The fruit ripens during October, depending on climatic conditions, and can be stored for 3 to 4 months. Yields are exceptionally high - a single plant can produce up to 25 kg of fruit. It comes into fruiting in the third to fourth year after planting. The variety is naturally resistant to pests and fungal diseases, so it does not require chemical protection during the growing season. It tolerates frosts down to -16 °C, with older plants being more hardy. Winter protection is recommended for young plants, e.g. with a layer of mulch to protect the roots.

Guloysha pomegranate seeds are eaten fresh, pressed into juice or used to make wine, grenadine syrup or as an ingredient in salad dressings and cocktails. Thanks to their exotic combination of sweetness and sourness, they are an excellent accompaniment to desserts, meat or vegetarian dishes. The plants are grown on their own roots (true-rooted), so that if the above-ground part is damaged in winter, the roots remain vital and in the spring they put out new shoots with the same varietal quality.