Easy, Clean Method for Removing Pomegranate Seeds

Anyone who has ever tackled a pomegranate and ended up with juice stained clothing will appreciate the following method for removing the seeds. It comes from “Sunset Fresh Produce A to Z” (Lane Publishing, 1987).

Cut off the crown end of the pomegranate (Step 1). Lightly score the rind lengthwise in several places (Step 2).

Immerse the fruit in a bowl of cool water and let soak five minutes. Then, holding the fruit under water, break the sections apart with your fingers, separating the seeds from the membranes as you work (Step 3).

As they are separated, the seeds sink to the bottom of the bowl while the rind and membranes float to the top. This makes it easy to skim off and discard the unwanted portions (Step 4).

Pour the seeds into a strainer or colander (Step 5), let drain, then spread out on paper towels and gently pat dry. A medium pomegranate yields about three-quarter cup seeds.

To obtain pomegranate juice, many sources recommend cutting the fruit in half and extracting the juice with a reamer. Unfortunately this also releases tannin from the membranes and makes the juice bitter. With the method just described, the seeds can simply be pureed in a blender or food processor 1 1/2 to two cups at a time, then poured into a cheesecloth-lined strainer and allowed to drain to obtain juice.

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