How to Seed a Pomegranate The Easy Way Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

Continue with all of the segments.

The unwritten subtitle on this one is really "without creating a gigantic mess in your kitchen." As delicious as they are, pomegranates are notorious for leaving your counters, your cupboards, and yourself splattered with sticky deep-red juice. Here's how to do it while keeping the crime-scene-like mess to a minimum.

Pomegranates are a completely bizarre fruit, in my opinion. Packed into a single globe are hundreds of tiny gem-like seeds, properly called arils (which are the actual seed plus the bubble of tart juice surrounding it). The seeds are cushioned by thick spongy pith and then separated into distinct chambers by thin waxy membranes. Picking one open is like going spelunking in a cavern of endless ruby-colored fruit.

Dozens of methods for opening and seeding a pomegranate have been developed over the years, from diving in with your fingers to thwacking the pomegranate with a spoon. The method on which I have settled involves tearing the pomegranate into segments and easing the seeds from their casings while submerged in a bowl of water. Of all the methods, I find that this one is both the easiest and gives me the greatest number of intact seeds.

Do you have a favorite method?

How to Seed a Pomegranate The Easy Way

What You Need

Ingredients
One pomegranate

Equipment
Paring knife
A large bowl of warm water
Strainer
Baking sheet for drying the seeds

Instructions

1. Cut a cone-shaped slice from the top. Insert a paring knife into the top of the pomegranate, angling toward the middle. Cut a cone-shaped piece and gently pry it out.

2. Cut a slice from the bottom. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of the pomegranate.

3. Score the ridges. Looking down at the pomegranate, you'll see ridges radiating out from the top. Run your paring knife along those ridges, scoring the skin and cutting about 1/8-inch into the pith.

4. Break the pomegranate into segments. Grasp the pomegranate in both hands with your thumbs on the cone-shaped indention on top. Gently tear the two halves apart. They should split evenly along the score-marks. Continue tearing the pomegranate along the score marks into individual segments.

5. Release the seeds into the water. Working one segment at a time, submerge a segment into the water and gently pry away the seeds with your fingertips. The seeds will sink to the bottom while bits of the membrane will float to the top. Repeat with all your segments.

6. Strain the seeds. Scoop out the membrane floating on the top of the water with a small strainer or your hands. Strain the seeds from the water.

7. Use or store the seeds. The seeds can be used immediately. For longer-term storage, spread the seeds on a baking sheet to dry, then store in an airtight container for up to a week.

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(Images: Emma Christensen)

Comments (10)

I like the "whack the crap out of it with a spoon" method -- works great, is super easy and it is fun! http://lifehacker.com/5895852/deseed-a-pomegranate-in-10-seconds-using-a-wooden-spoon

The method in the OP is hte one I use too. I just can't seem to whack it hard enough with a spoon to dislodge even one seed so submerged in water is my preferred m.o..

The question I would like answered is what is the best way to pick a good one. I buy them weekly at the farmers market and about 1 of every 3 has brown, yucky seeds inside. The farmer I get them from wasn't much help so if anyone has any good things to look for, I would appreciate it.

I usually just score the pomegranate into 4 pieces and pull the seeds out without the water. It's a little more time-consuming, but I find it relaxing. As for picking good ones, generally, the heaver, firmer ones are the best. Avoid ones with soft, squishy spots and ones that are overly discolored.

I use a similar method to OP. I wait 20 minutes after step 3 leaving the scored fruit in the water. That swells the pith and makes for easier removal. I then hold the sections underwater while removing arils. No red juice splashes and squirts and no stained hands, clothes, kitchen.

For choosing fruit: you want the heaviest fruit for its size. No cuts, soft spots, etc.

I am literally addicted to pomegranates! I eat two a day! My way is similar except I cut the pomegranate in half, then break one half (seed-side down) info a bowl of warm water (as if I'm trying to turn the pomegranate inside out) then I remove the seeds by hand (which is easy since they've loosened from the skin.)

I'm also a fan of the "whack it with a spoon method" that @ma912 mentioned. Very fast and easy and you don't have to drain the seeds when you're done.

My preferred way is slightly uncivilized - I split the pomegranate into two halves and eat the seeds as I pick them out. Perfect activity to busy the hands while reading or watching a show.

I like Ricardo's version. Quick and efficient. http://www.ricardocuisine.com/video/cooking-101/58-how-to-prepare-a-pomegranate

I personally don't like the water bowl method. Sure it's a clean form for those who don't want a mess but it still waters down the taste a bit. I find it's easy enough to use a fork to push the seeds out into a bowl from a pomegranate halves or quarters. You hardly get a mess this way. Now the real difficult question for me is how to best juice a pomegranate. I love the fresh juice (not a fan of any of the bottled ones sold at the store) but find it extremely difficult to get most of the juice out of a pomegranate. Squeezing is the only way I used so far, works well when the pomegranate is well ripe but not at all when it's not so ripe. I don't have a juicer, but not sure if a juicer would work well with pomegranates. I often use a pestle on the seeds in a bowl to get the juice that didn't come out while squeezing. Anyone else like to juice pomegranate? If so, what is your method?

I cut the beast into quarters in a bowl of cold water, then fold the quarters back & gently work the seeds out with my thumbs.
@ rosebud: a fresh pom should feel firm & smooth& supple,without wrinkles, and the skin should be a bright fresh red. If it's an old fruit the skin will be hard & dry, the red will be faded & turning distinctly brown.