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.
aj says
there is a trial being held in Australia for dementia/alz that includes Pomegranates, that has had very good results just google I’m sure it will pop up, this site does help getting to the juice
thanks
Margaret Downs-Gamble says
Thank you so much. I love pomegranate, but hate the mess–and am kitchen-challenged. I appreciate both the seeding and the juicing information.
Brenda says
After cutting the fruit in half and scooping seeds out, I looked it up on google and found your site. Wish I had done this first. Anyway its a lovely fruit and I will use both your methods the next time i buy. I live in Northern ireland and some of these fruits we are seeing for the first time and I am enjoying trying new foods. Thank you for your clear instructions and I have your site in my favourites list.
Sandra says
Bought a large amount of pomegranates which turned out to be less than perfect and not appropriate for serving as seeds. After the idea of using the juicer attachment of my food processor failed dismally as the kernels remained whole despite the powerful centrifuge, I found this site and your excellent advice. Made superb juice in no time.
Thanks a lot! Will use this one again.
Lucy says
This was so helpful, thanks a bunch!
Leyla says
Another easy way to juice a pomegranate is to slice it in half and use it with one of those citrus juicers (nothing fancy, a cheap plastic non-electric one will suffice) and just squeeze it, making sure to squish the hidden ones as well (usually behind the piff at the edge) and then run it through a sieve just-in-case you missed any granules.
Josie says
I’m so glad I came to your site after googling about pomegranates! After reading thoroughly, I chose method #2. Your pictures helped immensely and I now have over a cup of lovely juice from one gigantic fruit.
I have to say the process took me longer than expected, but I think it’s worth it — and it appeals to my pioneering spirit.
Thank you!
~Josie
Jack says
I just made a mistake in my comment, I picked approx 180 lbs of pomegranates, not 18 lbs.
Jack says
I have just picked approx 18lbs or pomegranates from my tree and I am splitting them and picking the seeds out. I have pure seeds, no pulp of any kind, and I ended up with about 12 gals of pure seeds. I then use a cone shaped strainer with a wooden pestle mounted in a piece of wood to fit the strainer, positioned over the clean food grade bucket and painstakingly crush the seeds. I then run the juice through multiple layers of cheesecloth a couple of times and put the juice in quart jars, vaccum seal the lids and freeze them. The juice is very good. I am looking for an easier way to juice the arils without breaking the seeds. Any ideas anyone?
Tori Avey says
Hi Jack. If you’re using two layers of cheesecloth, I wouldn’t worry about breaking the seeds… cheesecloth should strain out any seeds/cloudiness. The easiest way to juice the seeds is the blender method I described above. You may want to try it once in a separate jar to see if it works for you. If any of my readers have other suggestions, I’m sure they’ll contribute. Good luck!
lena lawing says
i have a beautiful tree that produces so many fruit but hated picking seeds so gave them away. NOW I KNOW!!! thank you!
elli says
I decided to spring for the seeded fruit at Sam’s Club … I opened the pkg the day I brought it home, uggg. It had a definite moldy smell and I threw out those beautiful high-priced seeds. Never again … so thanks for this ‘how-to’, I do love the taste.
Tori Avey says
Elli– uggh! That’s the WORST. Especially because they’re so expensive! Glad the tutorial was helpful.
rayna gillman says
Can you grow the plants in the house? I live in NJ – hardly a tropical climate!
Lisa Ruminski says
I have found it easier to just cut them in half and juice them with the Cuisinart juice attachment or with my electric citrus juicer. If you don’t apply too much pressure the seeds aren’t bruised, causing bitterness.
Tori Avey says
That works too! Seeding is most important for the holidays, when you use the seeds as part of the Rosh Hashanah blessing. 🙂
Craig Price says
GROW YOUR OWN!
Pomegranates are one of the easiest fruits you can grow and they’ll grow most places–Afghanistan, Turkey and other rocky soils, for instance–I grow them here on Galveston Bay and they are so easy–Really do nothing.
Water if a really bad drought, maybe and that’s it!
Beautiful, too, kind of like a crape myrtle in shape and leaves–mine are 4 to 8 years old and most are 10 to 14′ tall by about 4 to 7 feet wide–a couple varieties only get 6′ tall by 6’wide,but most are kind of a fountain shape with pretty new growth and pretty (odd) flowers in spring .
I get about 30 BIG fruits per plant, more on the older ones.
These were all planted in native clay with no amendments, so apparently they’ll grow in anything.
I have 5 varieties and they are all interesting and different, (and different shapes and tastes, too).
Southern Living Garden Book has a lot more detail–(and is far and away the best “Bible” for gardeners there is, at least in the south)–and I have bought many over the years).
Can’t say enough about it or the pomegranate, both are excellent.
Have fun!
Oh, yeah, they grow fast, too,–Mine get a little of my lawn fertilizer in the spring and just grow like crazy!
NOTE!!—NEVER use weed and feed if you have any trees or bushes in your lawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You will see them weaken over several years or more and then they are dead.
Using just one time will do this! I have done this!
Theresa Pierce says
I was wondering if you can juice the whole pomegranite, rind and pith? I wasn’t sure if the rind/pith were edible or not? I have a lovely tree in the backyard and am trying to think of the many ways I can go about using the fruit this year!
Thanks for your time and info! =)
Tori Avey says
Hi Theresa, you can juice the whole pomegranate as you would an orange, but you won’t extract nearly as much juice that way. The method I outlined above works best. The rind and pith are not edible, as far as I’m aware– they’re very tough and cardboard-like. There may be some edible use for them, but if there is I’m not aware of it. They are biodegradable, though, which makes them great for composting!
RajaRathinam says
Q: What do you do with the pulp? Is it good to make anything, like pom-preserves jelly?
Ans: In india it is used (as country medicine) to stop diarrhea.
Janet says
Hi Maggie,
Yes, cut pomegranate in half, same as you would to prep citrus for the juicer, peel some of the fleshy creamy colored skin away if you can, and let the “Juice-O-Mat ” do all the work. It will release all the juice you could possibly extract from the fruit, and the strainer catches all skins, seeds, stuff you do not want. Be sure after you crank down on the juicer the 1st time, to let off, turn the fruit a 1/4 or 1/2 turn and crush some more, lol, just in case you missed a drop!
Put a little “muscle” behind it for maximum results.
Good luck! Hope you find my method to be as good as I believe it is!
Vicky says
I just got a bunch from a friend with a tree and put the seeds in a potatoe ricer to juice it, may want to stir it a few times with a fork, but it was easy and clean up was a breeze.
TheGeekmom says
This is great with duck!!!!
Janet says
The best, easiest, and fastest way to juice a pomegranate I came up with and have to share with you: I collect old kitchen tools/gadgets and so on. So, my old time orange juicer “the Juice-O-Mat by Rival” comes to mind, the one that you put the fruit , halved in the device and then you ratchet down on the crank handle, and the juice flows neatly into the glass beneath it. It’s metal and strong and gets the job done. Google the name and mfg. I put up , to see a picture for clarification if need be. If you or any readers try this, you will surely be surprised at the amount of juice you can remove w/minimal effort & max. results! The pulp, pithy stuff and seeds remain behind. Win win I’d say! Enjoy, comments welcome, of course.
Janet
Maggie says
I have a juicer similar to this. Great for grapefruit and orange juice. How do you prepare the pomogranate? Can you just cut in half to juice, as you would the citrus? Thank you Janet for your help.