Pomegranate seeds and fresh pomegranate juice have been a staple in my kitchen since I was a child. The tart but sweet juicy seeds burst with flavor, adding a boost to dishes both savory and sweet. Plus, the juice is an amazingly refreshing option for any time of the year.
Over the years I’ve used a few methods to de-seed pomegranates at varying levels of success. I’ve ended up cutting into the seeds, squashing them when trying to release them from the skin, and ending up with kitchen counters looking like a murder scene. Until I found this ‘star’ method that works and I haven’t looked back. De-seeding a pomegranate might seem like such a small thing, in the grand scheme of things. However, when you’re doing it more than once a week (and especially if you’re opening multiple at once for fresh pomegranate juice) – a super simple hack is a godsend. Plus, pomegranates come with a long list of health benefits, which include:
Containing 36% of your Vitamin K RDI and 30% Vitamin C Strong antioxidant properties – three times that found in green tea! Anti-inflammatory properties, with anti-cancerous properties A reduction in bad LDL cholesterol and reduced risk of heart disease Infection fighting benefits – perfect for cold and flu season. Could be beneficial for gut health and promoting beneficial gut bacteria
How To Open A Pomegranate
Needed:
pomegranates – depending on what you need the juice for, you need a different number of pomegranates. 5 large pomegranate fruits yielded for me 750ml juice. hand mixer fine sieve or nut milk bag
Note* Be warned – be careful with your choice of cutting board/surface when dealing with pomegranate, as it can stain certain surfaces. The Step By Step: Deseeding a pomegranate Carefully cut open the top 1/3 part of the skin. Make a circular incision around the calyx (the flower-like petals on top of the fruit). Make sure to cut lightly so only the skin gets pierced (it has a fairly thick skin but still requires a light touch).
Make 5-6 incisions downward towards the bottom of the fruit. It would be as if you are cutting out 5-6 petals.
Remove the top of the pomegranate (with the calyx). Press with your fingers in the center of the fruit over the fleshy white part. Then pull apart the pomegranate towards the cuts you made. It will open up like a flower.
Turn the pomegranate seeds-down over a large bowl.
Hit the fruit a few times with a big wooden spoon. This will make all the seeds come out.
If there are any seeds still stuck in the flesh, you can carefully pop them out.
Fill up the bowl with water. The seeds will sink and any pieces of the white flesh will float on top. You can then easily collect them with a spoon.
Drain the water.
You can keep the seeds in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 5 large pomegranates yield about 1 kg of seeds.
How to make pomegranate juice with the seeds
Drinking pomegranate juice on its own is a wonderful refreshing slightly sweet, slightly tart drink. However, it is also a wonderful addition to a huge variety of juice blends, too. Collect all the seeds in a large bowl.
To juice the seeds, you can use a hand-held blender to crush and mash the seeds into a watery purée (or alternatively use a blender)
Then sieve the liquid out using a mesh strainer, pressing on the mashed seeds to get every last drop. Alternatively, if you don’t have a convenient mixer, just use a nut milk bag. Fill the nut milk bag with the seeds then squeeze all the juice out.
1 kg of pomegranate seeds yields about 750 ml for this juice recipe.
Store in a glass bottle in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also use this juice to make Pomegranate Molasses or even Homemade Pomegranate kombucha.
What are your favorite ways to use pomegranate? Let me know in the comments and feel free to tag me in your creations @AlphaFoodie.
