How to Cut and Deseed a Pomegranate
Learn How to Cut and Deseed a Pomegranate quickly and easily with my easy tips! This tutorial will save you money because you’ll never need to buy ready to eat pomegranate arils again. Prep them in advance and store in the refrigerator to add to salads, yogurt, cocktails, or use as a garnish for desserts and so much more!
I’ve been fond of pomegranates since the first time I plucked one from my grandfather’s tree. I cracked it open and ate the delicious seeds as fast as I could get them out.
My fingers and face were stained red, and there were juicy spots all over my shirt as well. Of course the way I went about eating it wasn’t ideal, but it was totally worth it in my opinion. 🙂
Over the years I’ve perfected how to extract the beautiful garnet red pomegranate seeds without making a mess, and trust me, I’ve tried every method possible.
I’m going to show you how to cut a pomegranate open, then how to deseed a pomegranate quickly and easily in about 5 minutes.
And if this method isn’t totally for you, I’m recommending a product that I purchased myself a few years ago that makes the process super simple as well (see the recipe card notes below).
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- You’ll learn how to cut open a pomegranate and how to deseed a pomegranate in minutes, while minimizing (or even eliminating) messy splatters.
- Purchasing ready to eat pomegranate seeds is very expensive, so you’ll save money by removing them yourself.
- Pomegranate arils may be prepped ahead and stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, and even frozen for up to 3 months.
- Seeds are a great addition to salads, yogurt, oatmeal, cocktails or as a garnish for desserts.
Tools you’ll need
You don’t need any special equipment to get the job done, you just need the basic items below:
- Cutting board. If any pomegranate juice gets on it, wash it immediately so it doesn’t stain.
- Sharp knife. This can be a chef’s knife or a paring knife.
- Glass mixing bowl. I prefer to use a medium to large sized bowl as the high sides will keep the pomegranate juice splatters inside the bowl.
- Wooden spoon, rubber scraper or serving spoon. You’ll use this utensil to hit the back of the pomegranate, releasing the seeds into the bowl.
How to cut a pomegranate open
The best way to cut a pomegranate open is without slicing all the way through it. This way you won’t destroy any of the arils.
The red outer husk is soft and thin, so all it takes is inserting the knife just a bit to cut through the husk, all the way around the pomegranate.
Pro tip: Use the tip of the knife or a butter knife to help pry the pomegranate open if necessary.
- Cut off the crown of the pomegranate, which is located on the left side in the diagram. Place the pomegranate on its side on a cutting board, then insert a sharp knife into the middle of the pomegranate just through the outer red husk (do not cut all the way through), cutting while rotating the pomegranate all the way around.
- Pry the pomegranate apart as gently as possible.
How to remove pomegranate seeds
The seeds come out very easily — just grab a bowl, a wooden spoon, and get ready to start whacking.
Pro tip: Use a large bowl, which will help contain any splatters.
- Hold each pomegranate half and break them up a bit without breaking the husk. This will loosen the arils so that they come out easier.
- Hold the pomegranate cut side down in your hand over the mixing bowl with your fingers open. Whack the pomegranate with the back of a wooden spoon firmly to extract the arils into the bowl. Be sure to whack all the way around it, turning it over to see which areas you need to work on as you go.
- If any tough arils remain, break open the pomegranate and use your fingers to gently remove them.
What to do with pomegranate seeds
Once you’ve removed them, there are so many ways to use pomegranate seeds.
- Toss into pomegranate salad or winter fruit salad.
- Use as a topping for yogurt, chia seed pudding and overnight oats.
- They’re a festive addition to cocktails like vodka spritzers or cranberry sangria.
- Use as a garnish atop mini no bake cheesecakes or almond flour cake.
- They’re a perfect addition to a cheese board or dessert board.
- Stir them into cranberry orange sauce for an extra special touch.
- Learn how to make pomegranate juice by Healthy Nibbles and Bits.
Recipe notes
- A medium to large pomegranate will yield roughly 1 cup of arils.
- If there’s a fair amount of white pith in the bowl with your arils, add water to the bowl and the pith will float to the top so you can easily remove it. From there, drain the arils well in a colander.
- Store pomegranate seeds in an air tight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- If you’d rather not get your hands dirty, I purchased this pomegranate deseeder years ago and it works wonderfully!
Pomegranate recipes you’ll love:
- Arugula beet salad
- Holiday salad
- Kale apple salad
- Pomegranate smoothie by Feel Good Foodie
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
How to Cut and Deseed a Pomegranate
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pomegranate
Instructions
How to Cut a Pomegranate Open
- Cut off the crown of the pomegranate, which is located on the left side in the diagram. Place the pomegranate on its side on a cutting board, then insert a sharp knife into the middle of the pomegranate just through the outer red husk (do not cut all the way through), cutting and rotating the pomegranate all the way around. Pry the pomegranate apart as gently as possible.1 pomegranate
How to Deseed a Pomegranate
- Hold each pomegranate half and break up a bit without breaking the husk. This will loosen the arils so that they come out easier.
- Hold the pomegranate cut side down in your hand over the mixing bowl with your fingers open. Whack the pomegranate with the back of a wooden spoon firmly to extract the arils into the bowl. Be sure to whack all the way around it, turning it over to see which areas you need to work on as you go.
- If any tough arils remain, use your fingers to open them up a bit and gently remove them.
Notes
- Nutritional value is an estimate only as it depends on the size of your pomegranate. A medium to large pomegranate will yield roughly 1 cup of arils.
- If there’s a fair amount of white pith in the bowl with your arils, add water to the bowl and the pith will float to the top so you can easily remove it. From there, drain the arils well in a colander.
- Store pomegranate seeds in an air tight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- If you’d rather not get your hands dirty, I purchased this pomegranate deseeder years ago and it works wonderfully!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
