Buzz
Pomegranates are a delicious and nutritious fruit, but cutting one may seem a bit tricky. Fortunately, there are several simple techniques to cut this tasty fruit. If you're cutting it just to eat, the easiest way is to slice it into sections with a knife and separate the pieces. If you want to extract the seeds, you can cut the pomegranate in half, then soak it in water or tap it with a spoon.
Steps
Cut the Pomegranate Lengthwise
Roll the pomegranate on the cutting board to loosen the seeds. Place your hand on top of the pomegranate. Apply strong pressure while rolling it on the board.
- This step will make it much easier to remove the seeds.
Alternative Method: If your kitchen counter is clean, you can roll the pomegranate on the surface instead of using a cutting board.
Place the pomegranate in the center of the cutting board. Use a plastic or wooden cutting board when cutting a pomegranate. It’s a good idea to place a cloth underneath to protect the board, as pomegranate juice can stain everything.
- Additionally, it’s advisable to wear rubber gloves while cutting the pomegranate, as the juice can stain your hands.
Cut off the top of the pomegranate (the top has petal-like calyx leaves). Use a knife to cut off the top of the pomegranate, the area where the stem connects. Lift the cut part like a lid and throw it away in the trash or compost bin.
- You can also cut off the bottom of the pomegranate. It's up to you which part you cut.
Cut the pomegranate in half along the white membrane. Look at the pomegranate and find the white veins separating the seeds. Place the knife along the membrane and slice down.
- Avoid cutting into the seeds, just cut along the white lines.
Cut along the white veins into 5 sections for easier eating. Use the knife to cut along the internal white partitions of the pomegranate and separate the sections. You will have 5 connected pieces at the bottom of the fruit. Pull apart each piece to eat the seeds.
- You can pry the seeds out or scoop them with a spoon. The white core inside the pomegranate is bitter and fibrous, so it’s best not to eat it.
- The pomegranate, once cut, resembles a flower or a star.
Alternative method: You can cut off the bottom of the pomegranate so that the seeds don't stick together.
Split the pomegranate in half if you want to extract the seeds. Gently pull the pomegranate apart with both hands. The halves may not be perfectly even, depending on the internal partition's position inside the fruit.
Make a vertical incision along the side of the pomegranate
Roll the pomegranate on the cutting board to loosen the seeds. Gently press along the side of the pomegranate with the palm of your hand while rolling the fruit on the board. This will help the seeds come out much more easily.
- This step makes it much easier to extract the pomegranate seeds.
Place the pomegranate flat on the cutting board. Position the side of the pomegranate down on the board, with the ends facing outward. It may be helpful to lay a towel underneath to avoid pomegranate juice spilling and staining the board.
- You might want to wear rubber gloves, as the juice can stain your hands.
Make 3 shallow cuts on the top, bottom, and center of the pomegranate. Start by cutting in the middle, then add two more cuts about 0.5 cm away from the top and bottom. Be careful to cut only through the skin of the fruit, avoiding the seeds. This way, the pomegranate won't fall apart after cutting.
Peel or slice off the top and bottom of the pomegranate. You can easily lift the top and bottom peel like opening a lid, then discard them in the trash or use them for composting. The seeds inside the fruit are now exposed. If the seeds aren't visible, you may need to remove the spongy core that hides them.
- The calyx (the small cup-like structure) may still be inside the pomegranate at the top. Gently pry it out.
Turn the pomegranate so that the two cut sides face outwards, then continue making shallow cuts. As before, avoid cutting through the fruit to prevent piercing the seeds.
- This step will make it easier to separate the pomegranate sections later.
Roll the pomegranate to the opposite side and make one more shallow cut. As with the previous cuts, only slice through the skin, avoiding any penetration into the fruit itself.
- At this point, the interior of the pomegranate is exposed at both ends, with five vertical cuts along the skin.
Use your thumbs to pry the pomegranate apart. Press your thumbs into the incision in the center to split the fruit in half. Then, use your thumbs again on the other shallow cuts to break the pomegranate into smaller sections. You'll now have several bite-sized pieces to enjoy.
- You will find plenty of delicious seeds inside each section of the pomegranate.
Soak the pomegranate in water to help separate the seeds
Fill a large bowl with clean water. Make sure to use fresh water since you’ll be consuming the seeds. Add enough water to submerge both halves of the pomegranate.
Make a shallow cut along the side of the pomegranate. There's no need to separate the top and bottom of the pomegranate if you just want the seeds. The cut should only go through the skin and not too deep to avoid piercing the seeds.
Use your thumbs to gently pull the pomegranate apart. Press your thumbs into the cut line on the skin and carefully separate the halves. The two halves should be almost equal, but it's fine if one side is slightly bigger.
- If the pomegranate sections are even, it will be easier to remove the seeds.
Alternative method:If you want to remove the seeds more quickly, you can make two more cuts to divide the pomegranate into four sections. This will expose more of the interior, making it easier to get the seeds out.
Place both halves of the pomegranate into water. After soaking for a few minutes, you will notice the white parts, known as the spongy core, separate from the seeds and float to the top. This is when the seeds will begin to detach.
Use your hands to gently pry the seeds loose if they are still attached. The white core will float up while the seeds sink. Once most of the seeds have fallen off, you can turn the peel inside out to push out any remaining seeds. When the seeds are all removed, you will be left with the pomegranate peel, looking like two inside-out hats.
- You may need to scrape off any seeds that are still stuck.
Strain the pomegranate seeds into a bowl. Pick out the pomegranate peel and dispose of the white core in the trash or compost bin. Slowly pour water and seeds through a sieve to separate the seeds, and then transfer them into a bowl to enjoy.
Use a wooden spoon to separate the pomegranate seeds
Make a shallow cut across the side of the pomegranate. Use a knife to cut through the skin. Avoid cutting too deeply to prevent damaging the seeds.
Use both of your thumbs to split the pomegranate in half. Press both thumbs into the scored line and pull the fruit apart into two halves. You will end up with two nearly equal pieces.
- If the pieces are uneven, it's fine, but if one side is significantly larger, it’s best to cut it again. Simply score the skin and split it into two. This will make it easier to remove the seeds.
Hold one half of the pomegranate over a bowl with the seed side facing down. Grip the two halves or place it in the palm of one hand above a sufficiently wide bowl to catch the falling seeds.
Use a wooden spoon to tap the skin. The seeds will loosen and fall into the bowl. Continue tapping until all seeds have been released.
- Repeat this process with the other half of the pomegranate.
Tip: When tapping the pomegranate, its juice may splatter. This juice can stain fabric and other surfaces.
Warning
- Pomegranate juice can stain everything. It is recommended to wear appropriate clothing and/or gloves when cutting pomegranates.
- Be cautious when using a knife.
Things You Need
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Bowl or plate
- Rubber gloves (optional)
- Water bowl (only for the soaking method)
- Sieve (only for the soaking method)
