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Discover how to open a pomegranate the easiest way, without the fuss or stains on your clothes.
I took a tour with POM, the leader in farming pomegranates in the US, with over 18,000 acres in the heart of Fresno. That’s where I learned the proper way to open a pomegranate. If you’ve always wanted to try a pomegranate but didn’t know how to eat one, follow these simple steps, just don’t make the mistake I made and wear white while doing this!
How To Open A Pomegranate
Opening a pomegranate can be a bit tricky, but with the right technique, it’s easy and mess-free. Here’s how to do it:
What You’ll Need:
- A knife
- A large bowl
- Water (optional, for the water method)
1. Prepare the Pomegranate
- Rinse the pomegranate under cool water to clean the skin.
- Use a clean cutting board and a sharp knife.
2. Cut Around the Top
- Place the pomegranate on a stable surface.
- Slice about 1 inch off the top (crown end) to reveal the inner segments without cutting too deep into the seeds. Remove the top, this easily comes right off.
3. Score the Skin
- Look for the natural ridges or membranes inside the pomegranate.
- Gently score the outer skin along these lines from the top to the bottom, about 5–6 sections, depending on the fruit size. Don’t cut too deep.
4. Pull Apart
- Hold the pomegranate with both hands.
- Gently pull it apart into segments, like peeling open an orange.
5. Remove the Pomegranate Seeds (Arils)
- Option 1: In Water
- Fill a large bowl with water.
- Submerge the pomegranate sections and gently loosen the seeds with your fingers. The seeds will sink, and the white membrane will float. Skim off the membrane, then drain the seeds.
- Option 2: Dry Method
- Hold a segment over a bowl and gently tap the back with a wooden spoon to release the seeds.
6. Enjoy or Store
- Eat the seeds fresh, use them in recipes, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Ways To Enjoy Pomegranate
Here are some delicious ways to use pomegranate seeds (arils) in your recipes:
- Layer Greek yogurt, granola, pomegranate seeds, and a drizzle of honey in a glass to make a parfait.
- Add to salads like this Delicata Squash Burrata Pomegranate Salad.
- Add them to muffins or scones like these Pomegranate Scones.
- Use it as a garnish for mocktails or cocktails.
Helpful Tips
- Wear an apron or dark clothing to avoid staining, as pomegranate juice can splash.
- If you find it challenging, the water method is less messy and helps contain the seeds.
Thank you for this story and photos and tips. Amazing as I absolutely love pomegranates?
I've been eating pomegranates for years. I score it around the middle, gently pry the two halves apart, then sit down and eat one half, saving the other half for the next day. It takes time to pick each aril out, one at a time, but I like how it takes time to eat it!
My question: How can you tell when a Pomegranate is ripe? Will it ripen in the frig, or should it be kept on the counter? There are times I have opened one, only to find it was not quite ripe, the arils pinkish and not red, so not quite as tasty and sweet.
Thank you Gina! I have been on a POM frenzy lately. Have no idea why, just all the sudden had a craving and now I can't get enough. Problem was is I was butchering my Poms….big time. Now I can't wait until the morning to try this out. It is going to be even that much more enjoyable. Way less mess, that is for sure. 🙂
Thanks for the step by step pics,very helpful …now I don't feel intimidated to buy pomegranates!
Thanks for showing how to open one,Yum! Thanks for the tips!
Pomegranate recipes WILL be coming in the future!
Pomegranates are on sale at the grocery store this week!! Time to buy some and try this wonderful treat!!
Hope you include some pomegranate recipes in the future 🙂
Gorgeous pics and brilliant lesson! Thank you…
🙂
Valerie
You were right here in my backyard and I didn't invite you over! If I had know you were coming, I'd have baked a cake (one of your recipes, of course!) When you make your pomegranate jelly, let the juice settle for 24 hours. Then use only the very clear top liquid. Your jelly (pomegranate is my favorite) will be beautiful. If you get some of the sediment in it, it won't be as pretty. It can also be a very nice syrup for pancakes/waffles,etc.
Yes, this is an easy way to get the seeds out, but….the juice will splatter all over and stain everything! Fill a bowl with water and open the fruit below water level, the juice will not spray, the seeds will drop to the bottom and the pith will float to the top…no mess.
I made a rice porridge recently and added a whole pomegranate's seeds to the pot for sweetness and color. My rice cooker booklet said you could use tea bags while it cooks too. Never did that though maybe you could do that with any type of grain and add tea to make a fall ish recipe?
I have never seen a pomegranate tree – no idea they grew in bunches! Thanks for the tour and the tip on peeling them.
Gee, it sounds like you had a wonderful time! Never saw such beautiful pomegranates! Thanks for sharing how to open them too! it does look like a beautiful flower when open. Welcome home! xo
Great photos as always, and fantastic information. The POM trip looks wonderful.
You don't know how long I've been eating pomegranates and never knew it could be so easy! Yum! Thanks for the tips!
Fabulous post! It was so nice to meet you! Wish you didn't live so far away. 🙁
Gina, it was so wonderful to meet you this weekend and share this POM adventure with you! Looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks 🙂 Till then…
I just want you to know I think your website is FANTASTIC! I have been recommending it to everyone I know. I have even recommended via my status on facebook for all my health concious friends! I just started weight watchers at the end of Sept and it has been a godsend to be able to cook from here. Keep up the amazing recipes and I will keep cooking them!
thank you!
I'm curious how you make pomegranate juice from the seeds.
Well, you are just gorgeous! Nice to finally put a face to all of the yummy recipes. Glad you had a great time and thanks again for all of the WW friendly recipes. It makes dinner time so easy!
@Paula – bell'alimento- great meeting you too! Hope we cross paths again sometime soon!!
@Gourmefied – Such a great question and the answer is yes, you eat the seeds. All the fiber is in the seeds!
@DebE – It was a event extended to a handful of bloggers. My daughter and I were talking about making POM jelly!
@Melissa, Julia, yes! And if you are using the arils in a recipe, this would be the way to do it!!
Thanks Shannon! 🙂
@Lee, after so many requests, they are now taking sign-ups on their site for the next one!
@Mary Deep South Dish- I don't like that photo of me either, wish I had more group shots! It was so great meeting you too, come lurk anytime!! 🙂
@Newlyweds – yes, we all did! We were in pomegranate heaven!
Great pix, Gina and loved the tutorial! I've been using poms forever in salads and for making jelly, but never knew they could be opened this way!
What sort of event was this? I'm from central California and have never heard of it. Love all your recipes and use them all the time. I am now at my w.w. goal weight (lost 31 lbs since May) and your site helped keep me cooking and interested. All your pix make the food look fantastic! Thanks!
Okay, I've never eaten a pomegranate, but I have a few from a produce co-op I participate in that I got this past weekend. Do you EAT the seeds or just suck the juice and spit the seeds out? Can't wait to see what recipes you come up with, too!
Great tutorial Gina! That's a fantastic foto in front of the plane. You're adorable & I LOVED meeting you. Mwah!
I love POM! It's one of my favorite drinks, sounds like you had a good time on such a fabulous trip!
Ugh, I hate that photo of me. It was so hot and with my hair pulled back I look bald headed LOL!!
I have been a lurker on your site for a couple of years and I really enjoyed meeting you and the rest of the gals – great tutorial!
I absolutely LOVE pomegranates. I was so happy to see them in the store again. Thanks for sharing the easiest way to open them. I do it a different way but my way is so messy!
Great photos too!
I follow those instructions to open a Pom but do it in a bowl of water – I have learnt to not wear white a lonnnggg time ago.
DD and I love pom and enjoyed our first one of the season last week.
Awesome! I thank you for the demo, I wondered the easy way to do this bc I love POMS 🙂
I once saw another really good way to strip the pomegranate seeds on a TV show…
Fill a bowl with cold water, open the pomegranate like you did, and put the wedges under water. Then you just sort of pick out the pieces underwater. It's really easy to get them off, there is no mess, and the seeds sink while the white stuff floats. Then you just skim the top of the water to get all of the white stuff out, drain the water, and you have wonderful seeds to snack on. It takes about two minutes!
This is very useful info: how to open a pomegranate! Wonderful post.
I think the POM Wonderful folks should consider inviting CA bloggers to visit them.
Gina- you are so cute!
I sent a pomgram to my husband. Now I'll know hot to open it for him. (and sneak some for myself!)
thanks again for such a wonderful blog.
I am so fortunate, it was great!
And yes, I plan on cooking with pomegranates sometime this week. I wish I would have taken more home, we were able to pick as many as we wanted, but I was limited with my carry-on bag. I'll be buying more this week!!
Just bought my very first actual pomegranate this weekend (instead of juice) – thanks for the tutorial, as I probably would have butchered it! Great pictures, too!
This is so cool! Great pictures! Okay, now I'm in the mood for a pomegranate. Off to the store I go …
What a great opportunity to go there! It looks like a fun time! Thanks for showing how to open one, I haven't bought one before b/c wasn't sure how to open it…my mom gets them, but I have always been intimidated. I hope you have recipes in the next few days to show us how you can cook with the poms!!