A pomegranate tree launched Newbury Park vinegar company
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

Nancy Lee Phillips and Jodi Spindel

Not long after moving into their Newbury Park home 13 years ago, Jodi Spindel, her husband and two children found themselves kneedeep in pomegranates.

The lone tree in their suburban backyard was a prolific producer; that October the family harvested more than 300 pomegranates.

"It was crazy- I had pomegranates all over my house," said Spindel, who comes from a line of chefs and grew up loving to cook and experiment with food.

Spindel knew little about the shiny red, globeshaped fruit except that it tastes great and is loaded with fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants. Not knowing what else to do with her tree's bountiful crop, she decided to try making pomegranate vinegar.

After three weeks of pummeling hundreds of pomegranates the size of softballs on a hand-cranked vintage juicer, Spindel produced about 15 gallons of vinegar.

She plopped a sprig of cranberry into decorative wine bottles filled with the fermented juice and gave them out to friends and family as Christmas gifts.

The vinegar was a big hit. In 2003 friends urged her to enter her new condiment in the Ventura County Fair. It won first place.

"I was pretty excited," Spindel said.

Friends urged Spindel to promote the sweet, tangy concoction and put it on the market. Eight months into developing the vinegar business, she realized she needed help with the administrative end.

When Spindel asked longtime friend Nancy Lee Phillips to join her, Phillips jumped at the chance. The Camarillo resident had previously owned a jewelrymanufacturing business for 11 years.

"I was really excited about it," Phillips said. "Deep inside the back of my mind I was thinking that it was a great venture."

Last summer, bottles of "Spindel Farms Simply Outrageous Pomegranate Vinegar" started showing up in gourmet shops in Southern California, Oregon and New York.

"It's great; I could just drink it," said Lisa Eidman, owner of Magical Kitchen, a Simi Valley gourmet food and wine shop that also offers cooking camps and classes. "Everybody in the kitchen has found it to be a lovely product."

An employee at Lombardo's Gourmet Meat and Deli in Camarillo affirmed that the specialty vinegar is a good seller.

"It's a very good product," said Ron, who declined to give his last name. "A lot of the customers are really happy to have the product in here." He added that he uses the vinegar at home and is impressed with its versatility.

Spindel said pomegranate vinegar can be used in several dishes, such as salad dressings, dips for crusty bread and for marinating fish, chicken and vegetables.

Spindel encourages people who enjoy her product to submit their recipes using the vinegar to www.spindelfarms.com. After testing them in her kitchen, she'll post them on the website.

"It's really exciting to hear people tell me how they're using it," Spindel said.

Spindel and Phillips plan to expand their line of pomegranate products and blend the sweet juice with other flavors. While keeping the prospective offerings under wraps, they encourage enthusiasts to watch their website for announcements.

Spindel's backyard tree cannot keep up with production needs- they keep a steady supply of nearly 1,500 bottles on hand to fill orders- she ensures a quality product is made.

She oversees all production aspects- from locating growers of the specific pomegranate variety, to her presence at each manufacturing session.

Spindel Farms Simply Outrageous Pomegranate Vinegar retails for $9.99. It can also be purchased online at her website.