Don’t be intimidated by fresh pomegranates. Use this simple method for removing the seeds!
Have you ever seen a plump, ruby-red pomegranate at the store and thought to yourself…self, I’d really like to have fresh pomegranate seeds, but I just don’t know how!
Well, wonder no more. I’m going to show you how to to pry the snappy seeds bursting with sweet juice out of a pomegranate with minimal muss and fuss. You’ll be done in 10 minutes or less!
Like I mentioned, you’re not really eating a pomegranate, rather, you’re eating the pomegranate’s seeds, which are called arils. The arils are what hold the antioxidant-rich, sweet/tart pomegranate juice, and are great for topping salads, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, or popping ’em plain and pretending they’re healthy Nerds.
PS did anyone see Kim Kardashian housing Nerds on the last episode of Kim & Kourtney Take New York? Ben and I laughed for days.
Anyway…
Step 1: Pick a pomegranate
Look for a pomegranate that’s large, bright red, and smooth-skinned (the pomegranate in the picture below was a bit more weathered than I typically pick out). It should be heavy for it’s size, plump and not withered whatsoever.
Step 2: Cut the pomegranate in half
Place a very sharp knife to the right or left of the knob on top, and slice straight down. I usually cut the pomegranate on a plastic cutting board, as the pomegranate juice could stain a wooden board.
Step 3: Cut each half in half again
At this point you should have 4 quarters of the pomegranate.
Step 4: Invert one quarter of the pomegranate over a bowl in the kitchen sink, and pop the seeds out with your fingers
I try and get the majority of the seeds out with the peel inverted and facing me (so the seeds are face down in the bowl,) then flip the peel over to get the remainder out. Make sure you are doing this over the sink because pomegranate juice will be squirting out a bit, and it’s easier to contain and clean the juice out of the sink.
Continue with the remaining three pomegranate quarters.
Step 5: Fill the bowl of pomegranate seeds with cold water
You’ll want about 3-4 inches of water above the seeds.
Step 6: Remove any loose peel from the seeds
Give the pomegranate seeds a little swirl with your fingers to let any loose peel float to the top. The seeds will sink to the bottom, allowing you to easily clean the peel out.
Step 7: Drain the seeds and return them to the bowl
Refill the bowl with cold water one more time, clean out any remaining peel, and drain again.
That’s it!
Each pomegranate yields between 3/4 cup and 1 1/2 cups (6-12oz) of pomegranate seeds. Store the seeds in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, though I doubt they’ll last that long. ;)
Still not convinced? Consider this:
Trader Joe’s sells 6oz packages of fresh pomegranate seeds for $4. They also sell whole pomegranates for $2. If you de-seed the pomegranate yourself you’re getting double the seeds, for half the price!
Now go forth, and eat pomegranates ’til you can eat pomegranates no more! (Which will likely never happen.) ;)
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What’s your favorite way to enjoy pomegranate seeds or juice?
My seeds are not really red. The flesh was also not red. Are they not ripe? Not sure if I should use them.
Pom seeds can range from light pink to bright ruby red. I’m sure they’re fine! :)
This is far too complex and you end up with sliced seeds.
Here’s the right way to do it:
There are seeds contained in the Arils themselves which are very bitter. Are those supposed to be eaten? I can’t imagine separating them from the Aril.
I might try another pomegranate, as I’ve never had one where the seeds are bitter. They are able to be eaten, though if they bother your digestive system, you could blend the arils then strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve!
My favorite way to eat pomegranites is to freeze them! They are so delicious!!
I love the red stuff around the seed itself – my question is DO YOU ACTUALLY EAT THE SEED? tHAT’S LIKE EATING GRAPE SEEDS TO ME – AND i DON’T KNOW IF PEOPLE EAT THAT PART OR NOT. i DON’T LIKE THAT PART MYSELF.
Yep, I eat the seeds!
One more “trick” people may find interesting. I had read a number of posts complaining about the “crunchiness” of the pomegranate seeds. I had discovered coating the seeds with a healthy amount of sugar and letting them sit in the fridge for a day or two does a LOT to soften the seeds. I would recommend washing the sugar off before eating (unless you don’t mind going into a diabetic coma) as a little sugar goes a long way with this treat.
I didn’t have time to read every post so I apologize if someone has already mentioned the following trick. My
Ex and I loved eating pimegranite and became quite the experts at deseeding them. We discovered giving the fruit a dozen or so good whacks with a light wooden spoon before cutting into the pimegranite went a LONG way to loosening up the seeds and making the whole process easier in general. You don’t want to go crazy… you’re not trying to make juice, but a handful of good hits makes a world of difference. Cheers!
Ugh, sorry about the typos. Apparently spellcheck doesn’t like “pomegranate”.
i do more water in the bowl , and take the loose stuf away with a small strainer the one normaly used for tea
I just bought my very first Pomegranate today! Wasn’t quite sure how to pick it but I’m sure I did OK. I have such fond memories of when I was a little girl and sitting out on the dock at my Grandpa’s lake house, just him and me, with half a pomegranate each just sitting there picking out the seeds and eating them and talking and laughing together. No one else liked them so it was always just our special time. I miss him so much and am so looking forward to eating this Pomegranate and reminiscing about those days. Don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner! My husband said he’s anxious to try it. He’s never had one.
I love that story – isn’t it fantastic when food food can evoke such great memories? :)
My favorite way to use a pom is to make pomegranate simple syrup and add to a mimosa!!! Syrup is so easy to make—2 cups pom seeds, 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar. Put is pan, bring to boil, stir, simmer 10-15 minutes then pour through strainer into large bowl. Can be frozen in ice trays to add to other drinks, but the mimosa is the bomb!!!
do you dry the seeds on a paper towel before storing in fridge or just leave them damp?
However much water is left over after shaking out in the strainer is just fine!
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I just ate one 4 the first time, I got it from a grocery, they gave it 2 me in a paper bag, I just cut it across with a plastic knife like I did my passion fruit and it broke apart into sections where I could pick the little red things out 2 eat, it tasted like cranberry but with a sweet flavor not so bitter. I have not eaten a cranberry come 2 think of it but am familiar with the juice which is heavily advertised. Some juice came out but not too bad. I wonder how they get the trees in California, I have found lemon trees here in Florida on properties but not the pomegranate, interesting.
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I’m an English girl who has recently really got into cooking, but we don’t do cups over here. I think I’ve found a site that offers the oxo good grips with the cups measurements just like yours in the pic but before I buy I just thought I’d ask, can I use that for both wet + dry measurements? I’ve heard you can’t.
You can use the OXO for both wet and dry, though the dry won’t be 100 accurate. Your best bet is to use them just for wet ingredients!
Oh okay! Which product do you use for dry measurements, then? (sorry for all the questions!)
Here you go!
Thanks!
There’s a much easier way. Pick up a “pom deseeder”. They work great! Health food store or online http://www.pomegranatedeseeder.com
Been using them for a while. Now all my friends have them.
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