I love pomegranate. Last week, I finally got to a good grocery store with beautiful, shiny pomegranates – so I bought 6. I wish I had bought more because I’ve run out. :::pitiful sigh:::

As an avid pomegranate lover, I have perfected the technique to peeling this fruit that frequently leave people covered in splotches and sticky juice. I have read some suggestions like “submerse the entire fruit in water and peel it under water….” Not to be rude, but do you know how much water you need to submerse the pomegranate? And do you know that instead of having little red dots of juice everywhere, you just have soggy pomegranate peel and water splashed everywhere and some red dots of juice anyway! I know. I’ve tried it…. more than once with very poor results. Or I’ve read that you should roll the fruit around until it’s mushy and then poke a hole in the fruit to drink out the juice…. I don’t know about you but that sounds like a lot of work for juice you can buy in an adorable bubbly bottle from POM. Plus, I want to eat the seeds!

So, here is how I do it.

1. Buy pomegranate that are smooth, shiny, and dense. The denser the fruit, the more likely you are going to get sweet seeds
2. If this is your first time peeling pomegranate, change into black clothing so you don’t ruin anything. Pomegranate has bright red juice that turns purple and blue when you try to wash it out… and with Shout! it turns into a vibrant neon blue. So, black it is.
3. Wash the pomegranates
4. Cut the flowering end of the pomegranate off (I called this the top of the fruit, until I saw a pomegranate tree and apparently it’s the bottom!!). Try to avoid cutting into the seeds
5. Cut the pomegranate in half, about 1 inch into the entire fruit
6. Cut at a 90 degree angle another 1 inch cut into the fruit (see pictures below for an accurate image)
7. Flip the cut side down facing a large bowl and pry the fruit apart. Try to put your hands and the fruit as far into the bowl as you can so that the juice and seeds don’t spray as you separate the quarters of the fruit
8. Repeat this process with as many pomegranates as you plan on peeling (in the photos, I’m peeling 3 very large pomegranates at once).
9. Line the quartered pomegranate up on a plastic mat or surface that doesn’t stain
10. Starting with one quarter, face the seeds into the bowl and break the piece in half. This should expose more of the seeds.
11. Gently remove the membrane of the fruit and dislodge the seeds into the bowl.
12. I keep a produce bag open next to me so I can collect the peel and membrane as I peel.
13. Continue splitting the quarters apart and dislodging the fruit

Personally, I like put the seeds in a huge bowl, and grab a spoon and eat the entire bowl while I watch TV or read a book. I love the tartness and the little bursts of juice. But, in attempt to keep my stash a little longer, I put the seeds in an airtight container and refrigerate the seeds. I sprinkle them (at least 1 cup!) over some Greek yogurt and homemade granola (I’ll post that recipe soon).

Cut the flowering end off

Cut in half about 1 inch into the fruit

Now, the second cut, perpendicular to the first

Pry the quarters apart

Set the quarters on a flat and non-staining surface, set up your bag and bowl and beginning dislodging the seeds

And with a little patience – VOILA!!