How to Cut and De-Seed a Pomegranate
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Late October, early November is the season for pomegranates, pinkish red orbs filled with crunchy, juicy seeds, bursting with flavor. You can get them at most supermarkets, but if you live anywhere near where they are grown, it's best to get them at a local farmer's market. Here you are most likely to find the ripest pomegranates - the ones whose peels are beginning to crack open, their plump, ripe seeds expanding beyond the peel's ability to contain them. If you are unfamiliar with how to open and remove the seeds from a pomegranate, here are the steps that we use:
How to Cut and De-Seed a Pomegranate
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Method
1 Pomegranate juice stains. So before you begin to cut into one, make sure you are wearing something that you don't care too much about, like an old t-shirt. The juice will stain a wood cutting board (you can use vinegar or lemon juice to get the pink out) so you may want to cut on a plastic cutting board. Work close to the sink, making cuts and then moving the pomegranate over a large bowl to open.
2 With a chef's knife, make a cut through the crown of the pomegranate, half-way through the fruit.
Use your fingers to pry open the fruit the rest of the way. It helps to work over a large bowl, so that as you open the fruit, any loose seeds fall into the bowl. If you work over a bowl, open the fruit into the bowl, so any juice splatters into the bowl, and not on to you.
3 Make a second cut, again half-way through the fruit, starting at the crown. Again use your fingers to pry open the pomegranate.
4 Working over a bowl, use your fingers to pry away the seeds from the peel and membranes. If you like, you can fill the bowl part way with water. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the water while pieces of membrane will float to the top, making it easier to separate the membranes from the seeds. If you are concerned about staining your counter top, you can pry open the pomegranate and remove the seeds underwater.
Once you are done stripping the pomegranate seeds from the skin and membranes, skim the membranes from the top of the water, and strain the seeds from the water.
5 Put the seeds into a serving bowl and munch away. Remember to be careful about where you are eating them. Seeds falling onto a light carpet and then getting squished will cause staining. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
6 At this stage, if you want to make juice from the seeds, pulse a cup at a time in a blender, just enough to break the seeds, and then use a rubber spatula to push the juice through a fine sieve. Add sugar to desired sweetness level. 2 large pomegranates will generally yield 1 cup of juice.
How to freeze pomegranate seeds
Once you have de-seeded your pomegranate, make sure the seeds are dry. Arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place in freezer for 2 hours or until frozen. Once frozen, put them into a freezer bag or container and store them in the freezer.
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Thank you, Elise, for posting these instructions -- I love pomegranates and just bought one the other day, and was wondering how best to go about opening it. This is deceptively easy!