How to Cut a Pomegranate and Enjoy Every Bit of It?

Snowmen aren't the only highlight of winter; pomegranates share the spotlight too. Pomegranates are worth the wait because of their beautiful red arils and juicy taste. But if you're not sure how to cut a pomegranate without making a mess, it can be frustrating.

If you're wondering how to cut a pomegranate and enjoy every bit of it, you're in the right place. The seeds, full of vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, and other nutritional benefits, are safely packed inside a thick red cover by nature. Here you'll learn the correct technique to get the jewel-like red arils out of a pomegranate without making your kitchen look like a crime scene.

What Is A Pomegranate?

Before learning how to cut a pomegranate, let's first understand what it is and what its treasures contain for us.

Pomegranate is a winter fruit available from late October to November. It looks much like a red apple with a flower-shaped stem. It contains small red juicy seeds called arils. They have a sweet-tart flavor and a crunchy texture that delights the mouth with their juice.

The arils rest inside a soft white interior, well packed within a reddish hard exterior. There are hundreds of nutrient-rich seeds inside a single pomegranate that can be used in salads, desserts, or mocktails.

Health Benefits Of A Pomegranate

Pomegranates are worth the wait because of their many health benefits. Studies have shown that pomegranates are among the healthiest fruits on earth. Learning about these benefits will inspire you to discover how to cut a pomegranate without losing a single seed.

Pomegranates are packed with nutrients important for healthy living. In one cup of pomegranate seeds, there are 3 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, 30% of the daily value of vitamin C, 16% folate, and 12% potassium.

The two healthiest substances, Punicalagins and Punicic Acid, are also found in pomegranate. Due to its high punicalagin content, a pomegranate has three times more antioxidants than green tea and red wine.

Regular intake of pomegranate can also help protect you from heart disease and cancer. Researchers have found that pomegranate can reduce inflammatory activity in the digestive system and help fight breast, colon, and prostate cancer in some test-tube studies.

Patients with arthritis and joint pain are also advised to add pomegranate to their routine because pomegranate extract can block enzymes responsible for damaging the joints.

So next time you visit a fruit stall, don’t be skeptical about pomegranates, and give it a try!

How To Tell If A Pomegranate Is Ripe?

We believe you’re convinced to give it a try, and your next question is how to tell if a pomegranate is ripe; we’ve got you covered!

Unfortunately, unlike most fruits, you cannot tell if a pomegranate is ripe just by its color. The color can vary from pink to dark red, which doesn’t indicate the inside. If you think scratches might help you judge, you’re wrong.

According to experts, the correct way to judge if a pomegranate is ripe is by holding it. If the pomegranate feels heavy, it means the red jewels inside are ready to eat, and vice versa. For the skin, try to find one with a taut and firm cover.

The best way to judge if the pomegranate you're buying is juicy is to pick up a few so you can compare. Take your time to consider the weight because it's better to spend time choosing the right pomegranate than to pull the seeds only to find there's nothing useful or tasty inside.

How Do You Eat A Pomegranate?

After buying a juicy pomegranate, the next step is to understand how to eat and enjoy it fully. For those who don't know, only the seeds of a pomegranate are edible. The rest is just a protective cover for the fruit inside.

The correct way to eat a pomegranate is by pulling the seeds from the white shell inside the thick red skin. You can add the seeds directly to your salad, dessert, smoothie, oatmeal, yogurt, or make juice from them to add a sweet-tart flavor to your drinks.

But wait!

To eat a pomegranate, you first need to learn how to cut it quickly.

How to Cut a Pomegranate: A Step-by-Step Guide

Opening a pomegranate can be messy and time-consuming if you don't have a proper plan. Here is an effective technique for cutting a pomegranate without making your kitchen look like a crime scene.

Step 1: Cut And Remove The Top

Take a sharp knife and remove the top of the pomegranate.

Step 2: Make Thin Cuts Along The Ridges

After removing the top, you'll see 5-6 ridges on the surface of the fruit. Because a pomegranate is not perfectly round, the number of ridges may vary. Using the same knife, make a partial cut along the ridges from top to bottom.

Remember to stay close to the red skin and the white part because the goal is to open the pomegranate without cutting the seeds.

Step 3: Pry Open With Your Hands

Use your hands to open the pomegranate and take out the seeds. To do this, hold the pomegranate between your hands and place both thumbs in the center.

Now gently pull the center apart to separate the fruit sections.

Step 4: Pull Out The Seeds

There are two ways to extract the seeds from a pomegranate.

Most people use a wooden spoon, but you can use other utensils to knock out the pomegranate seeds.

If you’re worried about getting hurt or making a mess in your kitchen, this method will work better for you. Remove the seeds by hand, using your fingers to separate them from the white part. To avoid staining your clothes, you can do this step underwater.

Step 5: Separate White From The Seeds

Fill a large bowl with water so the arils are fully soaked. Wait until the white pith floats to the surface, leaving only the red seeds at the bottom.

Now, strain the seeds.

First, use a filter to remove the white membrane, then strain the seeds.

How To Make Pomegranate Juice From Pomegranate Seeds

If you don’t like eating pomegranate because of its seeds, you can switch to pomegranate juice to enjoy its nutritional benefits. Here is a simple technique for hassle-free pomegranate juice.

Step 1:

Making pomegranate juice is similar to juicing passion fruit. Pour the seeds into a blender and blend just enough to break the seeds; don’t overblend, or the small particles will be hard to separate. Also, overblending can affect the original taste of pomegranate. So blend just enough to extract the juice from the arils.

Step 2:

Now drain the mixture through a strainer. It might take a few minutes because the thick pulp blocks the juice. Use a spoon to gently stir the mix so the liquid doesn’t stay trapped with the pulp.

Tip: Add a little water while straining to speed up the process.

Step 3:

Add sugar and water to drink or enjoy it as is.

Delicious Pomegranate Recipes

Pomegranates are versatile fruits that can be used to prepare various delicious recipes, including desserts, yogurt, mocktails, smoothies, or salad.

§ Mix With Your Salad

In a small skillet, cook pecans and sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until caramel-colored. Transfer the pecans to a bowl to cool, then break into small pieces. Mix these crunchy pecan pieces with pomegranate seeds, lettuce, red onion, and feta cheese. Drizzle vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper over the salad. Enjoy the delicious combination of salty feta cheese and sweet pomegranates.

§ Add It to a Smoothie

Blend some pomegranate seeds in a blender until liquefied. Add pineapple, banana, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup, then blend again until creamy. Enjoy the refreshing smoothie with some ice. 

Best Knives To Cut A Pomegranate

Now that you've learned how to cut a pomegranate, you need a good knife to practice. Here are some of the best knives you can choose from.

Chef's Knife 7"

Features

• Rustproof steel
• Medium size
• Light and easy to handle

Pros

• Both right- and left-handed people can use it, thanks to the sleek design
• Comfortable grip
• Sharp enough to cut the fruit easily

Cons

• The knife will feel large if you're used to working with small blades
• Not a beginner's knife

8″ Chef's Knife

Features

• Rustproof steel
• Non-slip handle
• Optimal weight

Pros

• Suitable for both commercial and home use
• Lightweight design for easy handling
• Dishwasher safe

Cons

• The blade may become dull over time

Paring Knife

Features

• Rustproof steel
• Lightweight
• Ergonomic polymer handle

Pros

• Perfect for gentle cuts
• The handle is comfortable and non-slip, providing extra safety
• Affordable

Cons

• The blade may lose its sharpness over time.

10″ Chef's Knife

Features

• Contains carbon
• Stainless steel
• Superior durability

Pros

• Includes a triple rivet handle that provides safe handling
• Dishwasher safe, making it easier to maintain
• Sharp enough to cut the fruit easily

Cons

• If you're not used to long sharp knives, you need to be extra careful
• A bit expensive compared to other blades

Frequently Asked Questions About Pomegranates

§ When are pomegranates in season?

Some varieties are available in summer these days, but pomegranate is a mid-season fruit. If you want to enjoy a juicy, tasty, and nutritious pomegranate, you can only find one from October to January.

§ How to select a pomegranate?

Pomegranates are not very cheap; therefore, it's wise to be careful when buying one. To get the best pomegranate full of juice and red seeds, the first thing is to check its weight. It is said that the heavier a pomegranate, the more juice is inside the seeds.

You can also select a pomegranate by its skin. Choose one with firm skin. However, you should focus more on the weight and consider the skin as a secondary factor.

§ What part of a pomegranate is poisonous?

In general, none of the parts are poisonous unless consumed in large amounts. However, the pomegranate’s roots, peels, and stems are inedible and can be unsafe to eat.

§ How do you store pomegranate seeds?

The best part of pomegranate is that its seeds can be stored. Follow these steps to preserve the red jewels for next time.

Take an airtight container or a zip bag and pour the seeds inside.

Press the bag to ensure there is no air inside.

Put the bag in the refrigerator. You can store arils for about 4-5 days using this method.

If you want to keep the seeds longer:

Use parchment or waxed paper and line it on a sheet pan.

Pour the seeds and freeze them.

§ How to eat a pomegranate?

Only the seeds of the pomegranate are edible. You can either eat the seeds whole or discard them after sucking out the juice. Use the above technique if you don't know how to cut a pomegranate and remove the seeds.

§ How to store and freeze pomegranate seeds?

Pomegranate seeds can be preserved for weeks and even months using this method.

Take parchment paper or waxed paper and line it on a sheet pan.

Pour the seeds onto it and freeze them to use later.

§ How to juice a pomegranate?

Use the following method for pomegranate juice.

Pour the seeds into a blender and blend until the seeds break.

Take a strainer and drain the blended mixture to separate the juice from the pulp.

If it takes too long, use a spoon and gently squeeze the juice.

§ What to do with pomegranate seeds?

Pomegranate seeds can be used in many recipes. You can add them to your fruit salad for a sweet-tart flavor or mix them into your yogurt for a different taste. Pomegranate seeds can also be used in desserts, mocktails, smoothies, and other drinks.

§ How to know which parts of the pomegranate to eat and which to discard?

Pomegranate consists of three main parts:

1. Red outer layer
2. White inner pits
3. Red seeds

Only the red seeds resting in the white pits contain fiber and nutrients; the rest should be discarded.

It's Pomegranate Time

Pomegranate is both healthy and flavorful only if you know how to cut a pomegranate properly. It is a versatile fruit that can be used in a variety of recipes to enjoy a different taste from it.

We hope the above technique on how to cut a pomegranate, the recipes, and the question answers will help you purchase a pomegranate that is worth spending.