How to open a pomegranate

Well, it's pomegranate season again :) I'm pretty excited! Pomegranates have so many great health benefits, not to mention they are extremely delicious. Unfortunately, they are insanely difficult to open! I've had my fair share of mishaps with this lovely fruit while trying to perfect my methods over the years. There are a few details in the forms of warnings through out the tutorial, ha. So for the pom fans out there...here's my version of how to open one!

Supplies you'll need:

• pomegranate
• sharp knife (I prefer a serrated one)
• parchment paper or a plastic cutting board
• large bowl of cold water
• paper towels or a cloth you don't mind staining
• colander

First step is to spread out some parchment paper. I like to use parchment paper because it makes for easy clean-up and also because I have a wooden cutting board, which would stain. So, a plastic cutting board would be fine.

Cut your pomegranate straight down the middle from top (where the crown is) to bottom. Do NOT try to pull it apart once you get the cut started or you will end up with lots of things splattered with pomegranate juice! Trust me, my wall knows....



It will look like you are killing someone...just breathe...it's ok :)



It's so pretty once you have it open! But it's deadly to white clothes (fav Moosejaw shirt = expensive new cleaning cloth)!

Place one of the halves into the pot of water. Opening a pomegranate under water does two things: one, it keeps it from squirting everywhere  if  when some of the arils pop. And two, it helps to separate the pith from the arils. The arils will sink and the pith will float. So once you're done separating the two, you can skim all the pith off the top and chunk it. Keep the pomegranate COMPLETELY SUBMERGED while working to get the arils out. Gently loosen the arils with your fingertips. The pomegranate will easily break into more manageable sections if you need to. It's a delicate fruit, but don't be intimidated...show it whose boss!

 

Once you have separated all of the pith and arils from both halves of the pomegranate, skim the pith of the top (I just use my hands, but you could use a small strainer). Pour the water with the arils into a colander and shake to remove excess water. Lay out paper towels or a cloth you don't care about (or a Moosejaw shirt, whatever) to pour the arils onto. Gently roll them around with your hands to dry them off a bit.

 

 

 

After all your hard work and dedication (which will take about 20 mins) you finally get to enjoy this delicious fruit! Go you!

Hope you found this helpful! <3