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Here’s how to cut a pomegranate: the right way! Open and seed a pomegranate using this genius no-mess method.
Wondering how to cut a pomegranate but not sure the best way? This vibrant fruit is notorious for making a huge mess. If you don’t cut and seed it correctly, you’ll end up with what looks like bloody splatter all over your kitchen! We’ve got a genius, no-mess method for how to cut open a pomegranate and seed it…the right way. It’s perfect for making salads, smoothies, pomegranate juice, and more. Let’s get started!
How to cut a pomegranate: step by step
Step 1: Cut the pomegranate into quarters.
Use a large chef’s knife to cut open the pomegranate into quarters. A small amount of juice will come out onto the cutting board: so take care with it! (We usually rinse the cutting board right away to make sure the juice doesn’t stain it.)
Step 2: Place the quarters in a bowl of water and pull out the seeds.
Place the quarters into a large bowl of water. Under the water, start to gently pull out the seeds with your fingers. Eventually you’ll be able to turn the peel inside out to extract the seeds closest to the outer skin. The pomegranate seeds will sink to the bottom, while the white pith will float to the top! Remove any white pith that is stuck to the seed with your fingers.
Step 3: Strain out the water: you’re left with the seeds!
Once you’ve extracted all of the seeds, skim off the white pith and strain out the water. Voila: beautiful, vibrant pomegranate seeds! The entire process should take about 5 minutes.
How long do pomegranate seeds last?
Fresh pomegranate seeds last 5 days refrigerated in a sealed container. They are best fresh, so try to eat as soon as possible.
Pomegranate recipes
Once you’ve mastered how to cut a pomegranate, there are many pomegranate recipes to taste! Here are some favorites:
- Salads: Use the seeds in a tasty pomegranate salad, shaved Brussels sprout salad or massaged kale pomegranate salad
- Smoothies: Whiz up a pomegranate smoothie
- Topping for dips: Add the seeds to creamy labneh dip
- Juice: Make up a batch of fresh pomegranate juice
- Drinks: Make juice for cocktails, like this pomegranate martini, Cosmo, mimosa, or margarita
- Grenadine: Make homemade grenadine syrup to use in cocktails
Best chef knife & cutting boards
A good knife can drastically improve your time in the kitchen! We’ve had our chef knives for 10 plus years and they still work great. Here are some of the knives we recommend, non-slip cutting boards, and the best knife sharpener. These recommendations are perfect for outfitting your own kitchen, or great gifts for a wedding registry or someone who loves to cook:
- 7″ Chef’s Knife — our best knife recommendation
- 10″ Chef’s Knife — our favorite large knife
- 8″ Chef’s Knife — our favorite affordable knife
- Paring Knife
- Serrated Knife / Bread Knife
- Non-Slip Wood Cutting Board (used in the video!) or Non-Slip Bamboo Cutting Board
- Non-Slip Plastic Cutting Board
- Knife Sharpener
- Drawer Knife Organizer — this is how we store our knives, and it’s even slicker than a knife block
How to Cut a Pomegranate (The Right Way!)
Here’s how to cut a pomegranate: the right way! Open and seed a pomegranate using this genius no-mess method.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup seeds 1x
- Category: Knife Skills
- Method: Cutting
- Cuisine: N/A
Ingredients
- 1 medium pomegranate
Instructions
- Using a large chef’s knife, cut the pomegranate in quarters, taking care as a small amount of juice will come out onto the cutting board. Place the quarters into a large bowl of water.
- Under the water, start to gently pull out the seeds with your fingers. Eventually you’ll be able to turn the peel inside out to extract the seeds closest to the outer skin. As you work, the pomegranate seeds will sink to the bottom, while the white pith from the fruit will float to the top. Remove any white pith that is stuck to the seed with your fingers.
- Once you’ve extracted all the seeds, skim off the white pith and strain out the water. Store up to 5 days refrigerated in a sealed container; they are best eaten as fresh as possible.
I have read that bamboo cutting boards will dull your knives. Those are expensive knives and I wouldn’t want to dull them on a cutting board.
We generally use poly cutting boards when not on video!