How to open a pomegranate

It's pomegranate season!  I remember buying pomegranates as a kid at our local flea market near Fresno, CA.  I used to spend HOURS carefully peeling back all the membranes in the pomegranate to eat the seeds one by one.  As an adult, I still love pomegranates, but no longer have the time or the desire to spend hours eating one.  The problem is, those suckers are hard to open without making a mess and crushing all of those beautiful juicy seeds inside!  A few years ago, I happened upon this method of opening them.  I can go from pomegranate to a bowl full of seeds in less than 5 minutes.  Oh yeah!


1.  First, cut off the top and the bottom of the pomegranate using a very sharp knife.

2.  Next, cut a shallow slit down the side of the pomegranate.  You need only cut through the outside of the pomegranate.

3.  Fill a large bowl with water and place the pomegranate into the bowl.  While the pomegranate is under the water, wedge your fingers in the slit you made with your thumbs on the opposite side of the fruit and split the pomegranate in two.  Continue to split the fruit into about six pieces.

4.  Once the pomegranate is broken up into about six pieces, gently start to separate the seeds from the rind and the membrane.  I usually just rub the pomegranate pieces between my fingers and thumbs and the seeds come off easily.  Do this step gently, you don't want to crush the seeds.

5.  You will notice that the seeds sink to the bottom of the bowl while the rind and the membranes of the pomegranate float.  When you are finished deseeding the pomegranate, use a strainer to skim off all of the floating rind and membrane.  Empty your strainer, then pour the water and the seeds into it.  You now have a strainer full of pomegranate seeds you can do what you wish with.

I served my pomegranate seeds in a little bowl to accompany my lunch yesterday.  (Yes, I really do eat sardines on crackers).  I love scooping up the pomegranate seeds on a spoon.  Easy peasy!  You can do it too.  Once you get the technique of opening pomegranates down, you can spend the few precious weeks in fall while they are in season enjoying them.