TIL: How to seed a pomegranate

Freshly harvested pomegranate seeds.

While the pomegranate is “old news” in the world of superfood marketing, the pinkish red, seedy fruit still packs a nutritious punch in the form of Vitamin C, antioxidants, polyphenols, and fiber (if you eat the whole seed).

I typically glance at these foreign pink orbs whenever I’m in a supermarket and immediately dismiss them as being way too complicated to eat. However, on a recent grocery trip I decided to stop being lazy and take a chance on the pomegranate, hoping that the ensuing juice, as they say, would be worth the squeeze.

Today I Learned: How to seed a pomegranate

Step 1. Prep – make sure you are wearing clothes you don’t really care about and cover up any pretty white countertops in your kitchen since pomegranate juice stains. Fill a bowl with water so that you can easily separate the seeds (they sink) from the rest of the pomegranate innards (they float). Owning a big knife helps too.

Step 2. Half Time – cut the pomegranate at the crown halfway down. Then pry open the fruit the rest of the way with your hands. You can do this over the water bowl just in case any seeds are a bit eager to jump ship.

Step 3. Four Quarters – cut the halves again in the same way, so that you end up with four quarters.

Step 4. De-seed into water – if the fruit is ripe, the seeds should come out easily. Pry the seeds away from the peel and fruit membrane (ew) and let them fall into the bowl of water.

Ripened to perfection.

Step 5. Skim – All of the unwanted fruit membrane (ew) will float on top of the water. Skim this out and discard. 

Step 6. Strain – Strain the remaining pomegranate seeds.

Cascading seeds…almost done!

Little red rubies ready to eat.

Step 7. Enjoy! – Not too much work after all and definitely worth it.

 

Forever wandering,

– Kristen