So I mentioned in my Pomegranate Salads post just how much I love pomegranate & how I can find just about any way to eat those beautiful little red, juicy seeds – more accurately called arils – whether it be in a smoothie, a salad or by themselves.
Pomegranates are in season from October through late November but because they have a very long shelf life, can be found in stores for several months.
I have read & tried different methods for extracting these little gems and have found this method to be the most effective, least messy and with the least amount of casualties, if any.
Items needed:
- apron
- plastic cutting board
- sharp knife
- medium bowl with some water in it
If you wear an apron when cooking, this is a good time to put it on because pomegranate juice stains! If you’re not into wearing an apron, at least make sure you’re not wearing any clothing you’re particularly fond of. I usually use a wooden cutting board when prepping food but for cutting a pomegranate a plastic one is a better choice. If you do use a wood one you can use lemon juice or vinegar to get the stains out.
Step 1: Slice about 1/4″ off of the bottom (stem end) and place it cut side down with the blossom end (crown) on top.
Step 2: While angling your knife in, cut a circle around the crown of the pomegranate and remove. (I cut mine a little too big but you get the idea.)
Step 3: Gently make several cuts (I made 6) from blossom to stem end, cutting just deep enough to pierce through the skin. Do not cut too deep as to pierce into the seeds. If you notice ridges along the outside of the pomegranate you can cut along those, if not just make your own cuts.
Step 4: Working over your bowl, carefully pry open the pomegranate sections exposing all of the arils. If you are using a large enough bowl, you can pry the sections away under the water to avoid the juice splattering on your counter. Gently start removing the arils with your fingers. The arils will sink to the bottom of your bowl and the membrane pieces will float. When you are finished removing all of the arils, skim the top of the water removing all of the membrane pieces and strain the seeds from the water. Dry and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
