How to eat a pomegranate- no fancy cutting techniques necessary, with this method, you can have your pomegranate seeded and ready to eat in under 5 minutes!
Pomegranates. Love: eating them. Hate: de-seeding them.
At least, I used to hate de-seeding them. So many guides on opening a pomegranate suggest complicated cutting and peeling techniques, and they never worked quite right.
Finally I stumbled across the technique I'm sharing with you today! I've got a step-by-step tutorial on exactly how to cut a pomegranate (hint, it's just ONE cut!), and how to get the seeds out easily (it simply involves a good beating with a spoon)! AND I even have a video tutorial so it's crystal clear to you exactly how to do this.
This is our favorite way to eat a pomegranate because
- no fancy cutting and peeling technique is required
- it's fast and efficient
- you can have your pomegranate seeds in under 5 minutes
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see how easy this method is! You can find more videos on my YouTube channel!
How to cut a pomegranate
For this simple method, we will cut a pomegranate in half horizontally across the fruit (see the photo above for a good visual). This will give us two halves with the pomegranate seeds exposed, and they will loosen out when we give them a good beating with a spoon (see below!).
See? I told you you don't need any fancy technique to cut a pomegranate with this method!
How to open a pomegranate
AKA how to get those darn seeds out. Important: I highly recommend you do this step in a deep sink as it can get a little messy.
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- fill a bowl with water
- get a spoon
- placing the pomegranate with the cut side down over the bowl of water, whack the top of the pomegranate (hard!) over and over. Collect the seeds in the bowl of water.
- rotate the pomegranate as needed, and keep whacking until you have two empty pomegranate halves.
Next, use a slotted spoon to scoop out any pieces of the white pomegranate flesh. Finally, collect the pomegranate seeds in a colander and enjoy!
Tips
- This can get messy! I suggest doing this over a sink. Also, if you have marble countertops, be mindful because pomegranate juice can stain marble.
- You can store the pomegranate seeds in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
- You can freeze pomegranate seeds up to 6 months.
- Pomegranate seeds, also known as arils, are full of nutrients and antioxidents and are great in sweet and savory dishes.
- Double up! Go ahead and do two or three at a home and store for later!
pomegranate recipes
Here are some of my favorite pomegranate recipes on the blog so you can enjoy the fruits of your (not so hard) labor.
- Healthy Balsamic Chicken Skillet with Feta & Pomegranate
- Fennel & Pomegranate Quinoa Salad
- Pear Gouda & Hazelnut Spinach Salad
- Apple Cider Slow Cooker Carnitas with Fresh Apple Salsa
- Apple, Pear & Pomegranate Sangria
Some other ways to enjoy pomegranates:
- in salad
- smoothies
- on my Instant Pot steel cut oats
- over yogurt
- with ice cream
How to Deseed a Pomegranate in Under 5 Minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 pomegranate
Instructions
- Cut the pomegranate in half across the middle.
- Fill a large bowl with water and place it in your sink.
- Hold the pomegranate so the cut side is over the bowl (a few inches above the water). Using a spoon, firmly hit the pomegranate starting at the stem and working around all sides, knocking the seeds into the water.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop out any white bits that fall into the water.
- Pour the bowl into a colander, straining the seeds out.
- Enjoy immediately, or store for later.
Notes
- keep them as dry as possible; allow to dry at room temperature for an hour or so, then store in an air tight container lined with a paper towel
- in salad
- on oatmeal
- over yogurt
- with ice cream
Johnny says
The other proper way is to slice or cut into the 4 side edges. Then flip those sides open and use a big spoon or wooden spoon to tap, whack until all the seeds comes out In that way you wont be slicing the seeds if you cut it in the middle.
Denise says
Hi Johnny! I'm glad that method works for you! This is the easiest method for me and my family.
Julia at Home on 129 Acres says
The water makes all the difference. Such an easy way to deal with the pulp and other bits. Thanks for sharing.