Learn how to easily seed a pomegranate and juice the seeds! In this post I will walk you through my tried-and-true methods for removing seeds from a pomegranate, and the easiest way to juice the arils.
For the first few years that I made our Rosh Hashanah meal, the task I dreaded most was seeding the pomegranate. Extracting the itty bitty juicy red seeds (also known as arils) from a pomegranate can be a daunting task. I used to peel the fruit and navigate my way through it, staining my clothes and squishing lots of seeds along the way. Since that time, I have learned some helpful methods that make seeding pomegranates a snap!
There are many ways to seed a pomegranate. I’ve outlined two of my favorite methods below. The first method is fastest, but you will lose a bit of juice in the process. The second method takes a bit longer and is messier, but you won’t get pruney hands from deseeding underwater. Either method works, so choose what makes the most sense to you.
As an alternative to these methods, some cooks prefer to cut the pomegranate in half and whack the heck out of it with a spoon to dislodge the seeds. This works, but I find it messy. Juice gets everywhere, and your wrist can quickly become tired if you have a lot of pomegranates to seed. Use one of the kinder, gentler methods outlined below to save yourself the violent effort. I mean, really. What did that pomegranate ever do to you? 🙂
Seeding your own pomegranates sure beats paying a premium for boxed seeds, which can go for as much as $6 for a small box. It’s also really simple.
Once you’ve extracted all your pomegranate seeds, you can eat them whole or juice them. I’ve described my favorite simple juicing method below. Pomegranate juice is very healthy (it contains more antioxidants than red wine), but it can be expensive. One pomegranate contains up to a half cup of juice, so you can really save yourself some money by juicing your own pomegranates.
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How to Seed and Juice a Pomegranate
Ingredients
For Seeding Method 1, you will need
- 1 large bowl
- 1 small sharp knife
- Mesh strainer or slotted spoon
- 1 colander or strainer with small holes
For Seeding Method 2, you will need
- 1 pomegranate
- 1 small sharp knife
- 2 bowls (1 large, 1 small)
- 1 dark colored kitchen towel
To juice a pomegranate, you will need
- Blender
- Mesh strainer
- Container for liquid
- Spoon
Instructions
HOW TO SEED A POMEGRANATE: METHOD 1
- Make a shallow slit at the top of the pomegranate where the knob/stem is (this part is known as the crown). Cut all the way around the top of the rind, creating a shallow circle. Don't push the knife in too deep, or you may burst some seeds.
- Pull the crown of the pomegranate off to reveal the inner seeds.
- Cut three shallow slits through the outer rind, following three of the white pith lines, from the top of the fruit to the bottom.
- Pull the fruit apart to create three large sections.
- Remove any large pieces of pith that are visible.
- Submerge the sections in a large bowl of cold water.
- Break apart the sections underneath the water, separating the seeds from the rind and pith. As you remove the seeds, they will sink to the bottom of the bowl. The pith will rise to the top and float. Discard the large chunks of rind (the peel).
- When all the seeds have been removed, use a mesh strainer or slotted spoon to remove the floating pieces of pith from the surface of the water. A few seeds may float as well; separate these out and return them to the bowl.
- Drain the seeds in a colander. Remove any additional pieces of pith that may have mixed into the seeds.
HOW TO SEED A POMEGRANATE: METHOD 2
- Place the pomegranate in one of the bowls. Place the other bowl nearby.
- Make a shallow slit at the top of the pomegranate around the crown. Cut all the way around the top of the rind, creating a shallow circle. Don't push the knife in too deep, or you may burst some seeds.
- Pull the crown of the pomegranate off to reveal the inner seeds.
- Turn the pomegranate over. Repeat the process of creating a narrow slit in the rind, cutting a circle around the base of the fruit.
- Pull the bottom off of the fruit.
- Turn the pomegranate back over. You will see six white strips of pith around the edges of the fruit. Cut slits in the sides of the rind, following the lines of the pith, from the top of the fruit to the bottom.
- Pull the fruit apart. You will now have 8 sections of fruit (including the top and the bottom), with the seeds fully exposed.
- Gently loosen the seeds from the pith and place them into the clean bowl. Keep a dark-colored towel handy to clean up any juice that might escape from the seeds. Careful, pomegranate juice can stain.Before long, you will have a bowl full of luscious pomegranate seeds! Discard the rind and the pith.
HOW TO JUICE A POMEGRANATE
- Place your pomegranate seeds in a blender.
- Pulse the seeds a few times to break them apart and release their juice. Don't blend them for a long period of time, or the seeds will break apart and create cloudy juice.
- Use a mesh strainer to strain the pomegranate liquid into a container.
- Use the back of a spoon to gently push against the pomegranate pulp and extract as much juice as possible.
- Chill, if desired, and enjoy.
Nutrition
Great methods, best way to peel and best way to juice. I`ve seen a lot of posts about infusin pomegranate, but frankly this one works the best.
Five stars! Once again Tori, your recipes and kitchen tricks are spot on. I used Method 1 for the arils; they will top Green Pea-Coconut Crostini’s. Also used your methods for turning dried chick peas into an awesome, smooth hummus. Thanks for helping me make a great Holiday Party!
(Couldn’t get the five stars to click, but that’s my vote!
Thanks Sue! Glad it was helpful. Can you please let me know which browser you are on and if you’re using mobile or desktop so I can help troubleshoot the star issue?
I didn’t have a stainer, so after the blending process, I poured the pomegranate liquid through my potato ricer/press with a bowl underneath. It worked like a charm, maximizing the amount of juice collected while keeping out the pulp. Thanks for all your tips.
Once again, an excellent feature! I like Method #1. Someone from my hometown told me, a few years ago, to seed them underwater. So, I use a big pot, with straight up sides and deeper water. I really like how you present and lay out all the steps. Again, great job!
Thanks so much for all the information. I have acquired the seedlings and I intend to grow 1000 plants for a start.
A friend of mine says she blended pomegranate with the sour sop fruit and the juice was second to none! Please try it for yourselves. Thanks.
The first method worked perfectly for me. Thanks for sharing, Tori! 😀 I rarely cook with this fruit, so can you recommend me some great pomegranate recipes? Thanks. 😀
Hi Luna, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. So happy to hear that this method was a success for you!
Please find Tori’s recipes that use pomegranate at this link – https://toriavey.com/?s=pomegranate
Came out wonderful!!! It was so quick and delish!
It’s also good for health thanku so much for this pomegranate recipe.
I think my technique of using an electric citrus juicer is even easier. I cut the pomegranate in half, hold the half fruit on the center of the rotating juicer piece, and catch the juice as it flows out the spout to a large measuring cup. Clear the pith and spent seed pulp into the compost (or other discard) bucket and repeat until all the poms are juiced. I have several trees so I do this once a year and freeze the juice for use as needed.
wow what a great idea…..!! Thanks for this excellent way to make Pomegranate juice super delish!
I would like to point out that store bought pomegranate juice is pasteurized for bottling. The heat of the process destroys some of the vitamins and benefits of the juice. Fresh, live juices are much more preferable and won’t upset your stomach as pasteurized juices often do. This method works great and pomegranate juice is great for arterial health. Thanks Tori!
It looks very yummy.
Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe with us.
Hi! I need 1/2’cup of seeds for a recipe . Will Inget rhat from 1 average pomegranate? Id rather not seed two if one is more than enough thansk for the seeding tips!
Yes you should be able to get 1/2 cup seeds from 1 average pomegranate, although they do vary in size so I can’t say with 100% certainty.
Has anyone used a juicer? I have a Omega.
Thank you so much. I have pomegranates in my yard together with cashews, mangos, wild cherries, different kind of other cherries that grow in the Caribbean area. Also bananas. Off course one tree of each and I enjoy juicing or eating these fruits. Hope to make good use of your tips and willing to collaborate.
Thank you! Just what I needed. I clipped a recipe for honey pomegranate glazed chicken with acorn squash.–thinking I MIGHT make it for Christmas. Yesterday, a friend handed me two pomegranates. Seems like it’s meant to be….
Hi Tori,
I enjoyed the article about the different ways to get the seeds out and juice the fruit! All good ideas but I gave up my blender years ago and I don’t have a cone strainer as some suggested in the comments. The one thought that came to mind was a food mill. I have my mothers and used it for many things in the past so I pulled that out and after separating all the seeds from the pod, I loosen the bolt on the bottom of the mill just to run the blade over the seeds slightly to get the juices going and then tightened it as I needed. It worked perfect for me and thought I would offer that suggestion. I even got a little bit of the fiber which added a little pulp to my juice! Very good!
Dear Tori, very useful articles, thanks. Pomegranates are available cheaper in some seasons. Hence could be purchased in bulk and juice extracted in bulk. If juice extracted as per your suggestions is frozen and re-used subsequently will it retain its nutritional value? I am referring to its anti-oxidant property. I am a heart patient and am consuming a pomegranate every morning but the chewing exercise is too cumbersome and affects dentures.
Anyone throwing light on the anti-oxidant property of frozen pomegranate juice would do me a great help. Cheers and thanks to all.
Hi Haren, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Pomegranate juice will not retain it’s nutritional value when frozen.
I cross cut the poms at the stem end and score the peel in quarters to the blossom end. Soak in a big bowl (or sink) 20 minutes or so. Just crack them open and the seeds come out nicely, put in bowl. I use my juice extractor to separate the juice from the seeds, works nicely, skim off foam, and use for jelly, liqueur, syrup, whatever.
Thank you, I was wondering if a juicer would work.
The fastest/easiest way I have seen to remove the seeds from a pomegranate is the following. Cut pomegranate in half longitudinally. Hold cut side down in your hand, palm up, fingers spread. Take wooden spoon in the other hand. Slap the back of the pomegranate with the spoon seeds will fly right out. Catch the seeds in a bowl with water. Any pith that comes out will separate from seeds in the water. It takes less than 2 minutes to seed a whole pomegranate. If you try this you will love it. I cook for a Living this method has saved my prep cooks many hours.
is the white membrane (pith) harmful to ingest)
Not that I know of… but you might want to ask a nutritionist to be safe.