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This super easy way to remove pomegranate seeds is amazing! And it takes less than a minute for a whole pom - no fuss, no mess, no water!
If you've ever felt intimidated by pomegranates, this post is for you! This easy way to remove pomegranate seeds technique totally eliminated my fear of this beautiful, crimson fruit.
Sometimes people ask me, “Do you ever get tired of cooking?” Except for rare occasions, my answer is "no". But as much as I love cooking, I have to admit there are certain foods I steer clear of because they intimidate me. I either don’t know what to do with them or they seem just too complicated to deal with.
Too fussy
Pomegranates fell into that category for a long time. As lovely as the ruby red arils (seeds) are in both savory and sweet recipes, the techniques used to extract them just seemed so fussy and messy. Those “in the know” swore by the underwater method; "cut the pom in half then submerge it in a bowl filled with water. Pick out the seeds allowing them to sink to the bottom of the bowl and discard the membrane and rind which floats to the top. Lastly, strain the seeds. “Voila, you’re done!” they proudly proclaimed.
That was way too much work for me. So, when I really wanted pomegranate seeds, I would buy them at the market in little packages with the work already done for me. But that presented another problem. A tiny portion of these little gems is ridiculously expensive. Consequently, I didn’t buy them very often and sadly, pomegranate seeds were not a part of my everyday ingredient arsenal.
A wonderful hack
Several years ago, however, my little culinary world was transformed (well, at least in regard to pomegranates)! I discovered a brilliant, super simple, non-messy, no-water way to extract the seeds. And it took less than a minute to remove the seeds from a whole pomegranate!
So exciting!
This might sound silly, but I was beyond thrilled with the results. Now, when pomegranates come into season (late fall and winter), I find myself using them everywhere; sprinkled on our morning yogurt, scattered on salads, brightening up soups and adding vibrant color to both sweet and savory dishes. You might even call me a “pomegranate aficionado!”
This delicious and healthy Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad is one of our favorite seasonal salads and the pomegranate seeds make it look SO pretty!
A superfood
I’m hoping you’ll become one too, since pomegranates are known as a superfood with tons of wonderful health benefits, including fighting cancer and heart disease, as well as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. They’re also loaded with B vitamins, potassium, and folic acid. Next time you’re at the market, be sure to pick up a pom or two and try out this amazing technique. Check out how truly easy it is in our video:
And for more details, we'll walk you through the process, step by step:
- Wash the pomegranate well before starting. Any time you’re cutting into a fruit or vegetable with a skin or rind, you take the chance of introducing bacteria from the outer surface into the edible portion. After washing, slice the pomegranate in half horizontally.
- Place the pomegranate, cut side down, in your non-dominant hand with your fingers spread apart. Place a deep, medium-sized bowl under your hand with the pomegranate.
- Take a sturdy spatula or a wooden spoon (if I have a choice, I like a sturdy wooden spoon best) and begin to whack firmly on the top surface of the pom.
- This is where some people go wrong. They try this technique and it doesn't seem to work - that's because they're lightly tapping. You want to give it a good WHACK. If you tap too gently, the seeds will NOT be released.
- Don't be afraid to give it some good, hard whacks - go ahead, get all your frustration and anxiety out. You'll feel much better and you'll have something beautiful to show for it!
- For demonstration purposes, I have the bowl set on the countertop. When I actually do this, I like to have the bowl down in the sink. It prevents a mess and it gives you a good angle to do the whacking.
- Continue to firmly tap (actually, "WHACK" is the right word) all over the top of the pomegranate until all seeds have fallen out. You can turn the pom over at any point to see if there are areas where the seeds seem to be "sticking". If so, flip the pom back over and focus your whacking on those areas until all the seeds are in the bowl.
- Repeat with the other half. You'll have a bit of white membrane mixed in with the seeds. Just pick this out and discard it.
- Store pomegranate arils (seeds) in the refrigerator in an airtight container or zippered bag.
- Arils will keep this way for 4-5 days. They can also be frozen and stored for several months.
- To freeze, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Spread arils in a single layer, uncovered, until frozen, 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight storage container or a zippered freezer bag.
Looking for a delicious side? These Honey Maple Roasted Carrots are like candy and always bring a ton of rave reviews and requests for the recipe!
That's it - The Easy Way to Remove Pomegranate Seeds. Super easy. Try it, you won't believe how simple it is! Bye-bye expensive pomegranate seeds!
You'll find a zillion ways to use these little culinary gems. The Honey Maple Roasted Carrots shown in the image above are a Café reader favorite. We also love the fabulous salad pictured below.
This bright, fresh Arugula Orange Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing is loaded with delicious seasonal produce - perfect to brighten up the season!You can explore some of our other pomegranate recipes here. The pomegranate season is short so enjoy them before they disappear for another year. Bon Appetit!
P.S. If this technique doesn't seem to work for you, you're probably not "whacking" hard enough. Start from fairly high up and give it a good whack. Don't be timid! A sturdy spatula or wooden spoon seems to work best.
The only other issue is an unripe pomegranate. But for the most part, the poms you buy at the grocery store are picked in their ripe state so this isn't an issue very often.
Thought for the day:
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
Psalm 103:1&2
What we're listening to for inspiration:
This post was originally published back in 2013. Too important to be buried in the Café archives (well over 1,000 recipes) we've spiffed it up a bit and are republishing it for your fall and winter (pomegranate season) enjoyment! Cheers!
This Easy Way to Remove Pomegranate Seeds is utterly amazing! And it takes less than a minute with no fuss, no mess, no water!
- 1 pomegranate
- a sharp knife
- a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon
- a medium size bowl
- storage container or zippered bag
-
Wash the pomegranate well. Any time you’re cutting into a fruit or vegetable with a skin or rind, you take the chance of introducing bacteria from the outer surface into the edible portion.
-
Slice the pomegranate in half horizontally.
-
Take one of the halves and hold the cut side down in the palm of your non-dominant hand over a medium-size bowl. Spread your fingers a bit and position the pomegranate over them.
-
Take a sturdy spatula or a wooden spoon and begin to tap firmly on the top surface of the pom. Don't be afraid to give it some good whacks. If you tap too gently the seeds will not be released.
-
The seeds will begin to fall through your fingers into the bowl. Continue to firmly tap (whack) until all seeds have been removed. Repeat with the other half.
-
Store pomegranate arils (seeds) in the refrigerator in an airtight container or zippered bag. Arils will keep this way for 4-5 days. They can also be frozen and stored for several months. To freeze, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Spread arils in a single layer, uncovered, until frozen, 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight storage container or a zippered freezer bag.
Nutrition Facts are for 1 medium size pomegranate.
Sheena says
I know this is an old post, but thought I'd ask anyways . Once the seeds are "whacked " out 🙂 do you wash them before eating or just go to town? I'm almost 30 weeks pregnant and pomegranates are a huge craving lately. I can't keep buying them in the packages - too expensive - so want to try this but not sure if it's safe to eat the seeds without a wash? Thanks !
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sheena, as long as you wash the pomegranate before cutting, you don't have to wash the seeds. Enjoy them!
Pennie Nickles says
Awesome advise!
There was a lady at my former employer that would drive to work, clock in, and spend the first half hour of her morning picking out the seeds. I hope she learns to do it the easy way, (if she still has her job.)
Chris Scheuer says
Funny story Pennie! When I first tried this method, I was shocked at how easy it was. Now poms are a regular seasonal part of our diet. We love them in the morning with yogurt, honey, granola and fresh fruit!
Malcolm says
Chris, We have three large Pomegranate trees that keep me busy. We use a table-top lever action orange squeezer to get juice for freezing. The chickens get the pom halves that have a few un-squeezed arils after I'm done. I have read all the comments about the WHACKING method, and I know from experience that it works well. My question is---what is the Politically Correct way to eat the arils in polite company? Do you spit out the hard little centers or juice them in your mouth and swallow the pits? Thanking you in advance, Malcolm.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Malcolm,
You're not the first one to ask that question. It seems pomegranates are a mystery to many! We just eat them whole and consider the seeds a nice little crunch and source of fiber, kind of like blackberries, raspberries, nuts, seeds, etc. We love them on our morning yogurt, on oatmeal, salads, etc.
Denise says
I just tried this method - worked like a charm. However, I wish I had read the comments first. My kitchen was covered in pomegranate juice spray. For the second half I put the bowl in the sink. I'm tall so I had to stoop uncomfortably but it did confine the mess.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Denise - and sorry about the mess! I modified the recipe to mention that. We had to post the pictures, so we couldn't take them in the sink, because of lighting. Good point!
Nichole says
Genius. So easy. Thank you for sharing this tip. Took me under 3 mins from start to stop. Phew.
Chris Scheuer says
And the end result is the delicious flavor and remarkable health benefits of poms, right Nicole?
Lisette says
Love this fruit! So glad it's just coming back into season here in New Zealand! I love to use a meat mallet to get the seeds out! Works great!
Chris Scheuer says
Really cool idea, Lisette!
leanne says
genius...I just did this and amazed at how great it worked!!!! thanks you
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad Leanne!
Lucy Cook says
Well, I thought it was too good to be true! It just so happens I to have 2 pomegranates in my fridge. I had to try your method and voila! it worked. It took me longer to read your beautiful post than it did to deseed the pomegranate! I wore an apron...and I set the bowl into the sink basin...this kept the splattering to an easy clean up.
Thank you for this amazing helpful hint!
Chris Scheuer says
Lucy, we're so glad you've mastered the technique. Poms are so fun and delicious, aren't they?
Lisa Hunter says
Wow!! I am so very impressed! This Totally worked. I love pomegranate seeds to just eat as they are! This is a very super easy method and no mess at all. Not many things you pin on pinterest usually work out to how they say it will......but yours Did and I am so happy!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Lisa, we're thrilled that the process worked as well for you as it does here at The Café! It sure opened the wonderful world of poms for us!
Zori says
OMG! That's unbelievable!! I just tried that and it works perfectly! Amazing! :)) I'm so happy!!:) Thank you so much for the tip! My husband will be astounded! He loves pomegranates so much, but never has the patience to sit down and de-seed one.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank youuuuu!!:))))
Chris Scheuer says
Zori, that's awesome! Anytime we can turn someone into a pom nut, we're happy! Enjoy!
Liz says
YEA! I threw out the last pomegranate I bought, but saw you salad with the apple dressing and today poms were on sale 2-$4.00 ... not sure if that is good or not, but hey, SALE and I remembered that you noted you had a trick. It works for me! As you wrote, you need to WHACK! I used the back end of a big wooden spoon with a wide handle, i.e. not a spoon with a dowel kind of handle. Very quick and I have a lovely bowl full of arils - probably three times as many as in the POM pack which was going for nearly $5.00 and I have $2.00 in my bowl full (1 pomegranate).
Thanks! I found you looking for sweet potato brioche. I used my own brioche recipe, but I HAVE been working on making pumpkins. So far, mine are not looking as cute as yours, but I will keep trying.
Chris Scheuer says
That's great Liz! Yes, you really have to give that old pomegranate a firm thrashing! But the results is definitely worth the effort!
Marybeth Lopez says
This worked perfect the very first time. Don't forget to hold it in the palm of your hand! Thank you so much ,now off to share this with everyone.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Marybeth!
kim says
Oh no! Now I am going to eat POM's until I turn into one!!!! Thanks for the tip!
Chris Scheuer says
haha!
Muna Kenny says
Thanks for the tip Chris, it will help in taking out my frustration too 🙂
Debbie says
my first time ever eating or even cutting a pomegranate and YUM!!!...and cutting it was super easy and super stress relieving as I was pounding out the seeds...a bonus when raising teenagers, beat the pomegranate..not the teenagers! haha
Chris Scheuer says
That cracks me up! Yeh, so happy this worked well for you!
Danae says
Love the pictures and what a great tip,I always make a mess trying to get the seeds out, can't wait to try it...
Laura says
I can't wait to try this! Looks too good to be true!
Ellie says
I always feel like such an outsider in the pomegranate world. I love to spend the time necessary to pull it apart.
My grandmother has a pomegranate tree in her backyard and I spent the entire month of November and much of December (there was a week in December when I wasn't home) eating one a night as my dessert.
Though, I will admit it's a bit harder to peal the ones from the stores since they dont pick them when they're ripe. If you're getting them off the tree, you can just wait until the fruit splits. It's quite convenient. It usually takes me at least 10 extra minutes to pull apart the ones from the store.
Chris Scheuer says
Maybe they should change the old saying "take time to smell the roses..." to take time to pull the pomegranates apart...." .Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. How wonderful that you get to spend time with your grandmother 🙂
A Little about Ally! says
Chris...this is so timely...yes I've had pomegranate diasters! :-):-)
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
Whoa! I wish I would've known this a long time ago. I'm like you--I avoid them because it always seemed like too much work. Great step by step photos too! Looking forward to meeting you next week at the Mixed Conference!
Pam says
Awesome! I never buy them because it's so difficult to get the seeds out. Thank you for this tip!
Kitchen Riffs says
Wow! Terrific technique. I've not heard of this. I'm going to the grocery store later today, so you can bet I'll be buying pomegranates to try this! Thanks so much.
Emanuelle says
What an awesome post!! Priceless information!! Thanks for sharing! 😉
Joyce Olson says
Chris,
Wonderful tip-I am one of those people who avoided these beautiful little fruits? Or are they a vegetable?
Well, whatever they are I will embrace them and use your technique!
Jemma
Martha says
Awesome! thanks for sharing! My daughter and I love them but they take long to dessed, but now I know better 🙂