The EASIEST and Best way to Cut a Pomegranate with a simple video tutorial. Once you try it this way, you’ll be hooked! Easy, convenient and fast, and way more affordable than buying pomegranate seeds! Video!
Pomegranates contain hundreds of ruby red seeds, called arils, and are in high season during the winter months. The seeds are full of healthy polyphenols and antioxidants- three times more than green tea or red wine! They also feed the good bacteria in our gut.
While I was at the grocery store I overheard two people debating whether or not to buy a whole pomegranate or to just buy the cup of seeds. The person in favor of buying the whole pomegranate believed it was a much better deal- spending a couple of dollars on a whole pomegranate vs. spending five dollars on one cup’s worth. The other chimed in and said how much she disliked deseeding pomegranates and much rather pay extra for the convenience of not having to deal with the hassle and mess.
Now I have no judgment either way, and yes, admittedly, there have been times when I have bought the cup of pomegranate arils myself, but this inspired me to do a little experiment.
I wanted to find out exactly how many cups of pomegranate seeds were in a pomegranate. Just out of curiosity. Can you guess? And then I started thinking, I wonder if most people actually know how to cut a pomegranate…. the EASY way?
Best Way to Cut a Pomegranate | video!
The EASIEST WAY to cut a pomegranate:
- Score it around the middle, 1/2 inch deep
- Pry the pomegranate apart into two halves
- Gently stretch the sides open.
- Place the open side of the pomegranate in the palm of your hand, over a tall-sided bowl.
- Began whacking it firmly with the back end of a wooden spoon, so the seeds fall into your palm and into the bowl.
- Squeeze the pomegranate gently like you would an orange. Whack again.
- Repeat with the other side.
Use a knife to cut the pomegranate -score 1/2 inch deep around the middle.
Open a pomegranate by pulling it apart rather than cutting all the way through, to preserve the seeds.
Gently stretch open the sides over a large bowl to loosen the skin from the white pith.
Remove the seeds by using a flat heavy wooden spoon or spatula, to whack the outer side.
They will begin to release the aril into the bowl and into your hand.
Squeeze the pomegranate like juicing an orange, but more gently, and rotating.
Stretch the pomegranate open again.
Keep whacking, to release the remaining seeds.
Stretch open the pomegranate skin and get all the shy ones.
Remove any bits of white membrane from the bowl.
How many cups/seeds will a pomegranate yield?
- One pomegranate typically yields 2 cups of seeds.
- So basically for the cost of one pomegranate ($2-3 dollars), you’ll get two cups of seeds($10 dollar worth!).
How to store Pomegranate seeds:
- Fresh pomegranate seeds will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- The seeds can be frozen for later use: Spread the seeds, in a single layer, on a parchment-lined baking sheet lined. Pat dry. Freeze, then store in a ziplock bag.
Pomegranate Recipes to try!
- Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Vanilla Fig Dressing
- Radicchio Salad with Asian Pear & Walnuts
- Roasted Pomegranate Salmon
- Kale Farro Salad with Almonds and Pomegranate
- Fesenjan {Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew}
- Palouse Caviar (Lentil Pomegranate Salad)
- Moroccan Meatballs with Pomegranate Glaze
- Persimmon Salad with Shaved Fennel and Pomegranate
Have fun with this one, friends! 🥂
xoxo
Print
Best Way to Cut a Pomegranate!
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: "How To"
- Method: Whack
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The EASIEST way to cut a pomegranate with a quick video tutorial. Once you try this method for deseeding a pomegranate, you’ll never go back! Fast, easy and affordable!
Ingredients
1 pomegranate
Instructions
- Score the pomegranate around the middle, 1/2 inch deep, using a sharp knife.
- Pry the pomegranate apart into two halves.
- Gently stretch the sides open, loosening the seeds.
- Place the open side of the pomegranate in the palm of your hand, over a tall-sided bowl.
- Using the back end of a wooden spoon, whack firmly, so the seeds release into your palm and into the bowl. Stretch open and gently squeeze, and whack again.
- Repeat with the other side.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze.
Notes
To freeze, lay in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet pan, pat dry, freeze, then place in a zip lock bag.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 11.9 g
- Sodium: 2.6 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.3 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
So helpful!
Fast and easy. By far the best way.
Great idea and it works. Another method I like is to cut it half and using my hands, break up and separate the pith and seeds into a big bowl of water. The seeds sink and the pith floats. Easy squeezy.
I used to do it that way too, works great- but find this way is more gratifying. 😉
So many seeds along the way using this technique. Here’s a technique that does not destroy the seeds:
1. using a paring knife, remove the persistent calyx and stamen cluster (similar to removing the stem of a strawberry)
2. score the whole pomegranate just skin deep from top to bottom (instead of around the middle as shown in your video
3. turn and score again so there are 4 evenly spaced score marks (just skin deep)
4. turn and score again twice more, each time cutting (similar to cutting pieces of a pie, each time, cutting the largest real estate in half)
5. over a wide, shallow bowl, pry in half then separate all the other scored bits, opening the pomegranate up into 6 equal parts.
6. Invert each segment and pull away the seeds.
Much less messy, many more whole seeds, but time consuming.
I learned this way too, much less messy and fewer bruised seeds, but if someone isn’t patient or hand/eye coordinated then it can be a challenge. After slicing off the calyx I look for slight indentations and score in those, the whole thing, in 3rds or 4ths. Then break them apart, flipping inside out as necessary, to roll out the seeds into a bowl.
What a fun video, thanks! Going to try it today with one sitting on my counter. And great to know they freeze since they’re in season and often on sale right now.
I had a way to do pomegranates–but this is so much easier–many thanks Sylvia