A delicious step-by-step tutorial and video detailing two methods for how to open and de-seed a pomegranate.

Hey guys! I have a new How-To Tuesday tutorial for you today. And actually, this one includes a bonus — not just one, but two fool-proof methods for how to open and de-seed a pomegranate.

Because I don’t know about you, but I absolutely adore these little gems (that literally look like cute little gems, right?!). And during the short time of year that they’re in season, I always keep at least a few pomegranates stocked in my fridge so that I can sprinkle them on salads, mix them into one of my favorite salsas, brighten up some tacos, garnish some sangria or cocktails or ice cream, or — my favorite — just pop them as a snack like candy. So good!!

That said, though, pomegranates definitely make you work for it, and can be notoriously tricky (and messy) to open. So today, I thought I want to share with you my favorite two methods for safely opening a pomegranate and getting all of those delicious little gems (did you know they’re technically called “arils”) out of the shell and into your recipe…without splattering bright red pomegranate juice all over you in the process.

Do you know both methods?

How To Cut A Pomegranate | 1-Minute Video

Well, if you regularly eat pomegranates, you probably know that the trick to successfully de-seeding them is to do most (or all) of the process underwater. Because pomegranate juice loves to splatter and stain, so keeping the arils submerged most of the time is the best way to avoid having a red polka-dotted sweater. ;)

So fill a big mixing bowl with some water, grab a sharp knife and a cutting board, and give one of these two methods a try!

How To Cut A Pomegranate

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Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Makes: pomegranate

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Learn these two easy (and safe!) methods for how to open and de-seed a pomegranate.

Ingredients

1 pomegranate

Instructions

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Fill a large bowl with water. Set aside.
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Wash the outside of the pomegranate thoroughly. (This is important since the outer skin may eventually be underwater with the pomegranate seeds.)
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Hold the pomegranate firmly on a cutting board and use a large sharp kitchen knife to carefully make a vertical cut down the middle to split it in two. Then look for the ridges (see video) where the pomegranate arils reach the outer edges of the pomegranate, and use your knife to carefully score the outside skin along those ridges.
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Then (option 1) completely submerge one pomegranate half in the bowl of water, and spread the pomegranate open into a flour. Use your fingers to carefully separate the arils from the rind, gently prying the rind apart more and more to reveal all of the arils. Or (option 2) firmly hold the pomegranate arils-side-down right above the water, and use a strong wooden spoon to hit the outside pomegranate skin on all sides until the arils drop down into the water.
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You’ll notice that the arils will sink, and the rind will float. Once all of the arils have been separated, remove and discard the floating pieces of rind. And then use your fingers to once more pick through all of the arils that are sitting on the bottom to remove any tiny pieces of rind that are still stuck to individual arils. Remove and discard this rind.
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Then strain out the water, and your pomegranate arils are ready to go! Use immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.