Want to know the BEST way to cut a pomegranate? You’re in the right place! A step-by-step guide on how to cut a Pomegranate and open it! NO messy kitchen or lost seeds and juices involved.
What are Pomegranate Arils?
Fun fact: The juicy, vibrant red morsels inside a pomegranate are technically called pomegranate arils, not pomegranate seeds. The seeds are actually the small fibrous part at the center of the arils (and they’re edible!).
Since it’s more common to use the term pomegranate seeds when talking about pomegranate arils, we’ll be using the terms interchangeably in this post!
How to Cut and Open a Pomegranate
Getting the seeds out of a pomegranate involves three steps:
- Score (cut) the pomegranate skin into quarters without piercing any seeds
- Gently open the pomegranate along the cut lines
- Break apart each section to release the seeds into a bowl
1 pomegranate will produce about 1 ¼ cup of seeds when using this method!
We hope this guide is helpful! It’s:
No fuss
No mess
Quick & easy
Way fresher than store-bought
& Guaranteed to get all the seeds out!
What to do With Pomegranate Seeds
Pomegranate seeds make a juicy, crunchy, tart-sweet snack all on their own. They’re also a beautiful, antioxidant-packed topping for salads, fesenjān, squash, and more!
The BEST Way to Cut a Pomegranate
A step-by-step guide on how to cut a pomegranate! The quickest and easiest method that’s no fuss, no mess, and guaranteed to get all the pomegranate seeds!
Prep Time:
5 minutes
Total Time:
5 minutes
Servings:
5 (1/4-cup servings)
Course:
Helpful How-to
Cuisine:
Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly:
1 month
Does it keep? 4-5 Days
Ingredients
Ingredients
Instructions
Cooking method
- Get out a large, sharp knife and a medium size bowl (for your seeds) and set both nearby. Place the pomegranate on a clean work surface or cutting board.
- Hold the pomegranate with the stem (the part that sticks out) facing up toward you. Then place your knife in the center of the stem and gently cut down into the stem, creating a cross or plus sign (+). You don’t want to cut INTO the pomegranate, just down through the stem. Now, using one of your cross lines as a guide, carefully score all the way around the pomegranate, piercing just the skin with the tip of your knife. Again, avoid cutting into the pomegranate or piercing any of the seeds inside; simply cut through the red, outermost skin of the fruit. Turn the pomegranate and repeat with the other line of your cross so you have scored the pomegranate into 4 even quarters.
- Now, gently begin pulling and breaking the pomegranate apart into 4 quarters. If you didn’t score the skin deeply enough, it might be hard to break apart, so you can repeat step 2 if necessary. Once the pomegranate is broken up, you can easily break apart each individual quarter to release the seeds into your bowl. If the seeds feel stuck, try bending the quarter back, “flexing” it to help release the seeds.
- Once all of the seeds are in the bowl, pick out any white bits of pomegranate skin (known as the pith)! Enjoy pomegranate seeds on their own or on salads, fesenjān, squash, and beyond.
- Pomegranate seeds keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator and in the freezer for up to 1 month (but the texture changes with freezing).
Notes
*1 large pomegranate yields ~1 ¼ cup pomegranate seeds.
*If you get a stubborn pomegranate and really want to keep the juices under control, try this: After quartering, pluck out the seeds in a bowl of water. The arils will sink and even the tiniest bits of pith will float to the top so they can be skimmed off before draining.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 5 servings)
Serving: 1quarter-cup servingCalories: 36Carbohydrates: 8.1gProtein: 0.7gFat: 0.5gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.04gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 103mgFiber: 1.7gSugar: 6g<Vitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg
Recipe by Cook Good Recipes
Recipe by Cook Good Recipes
