Nature has a way of hiding its treasures, and the ruby-red gems locked inside a pomegranate are no exception. Unlike the profligate pear, the indiscriminate apple and the promiscuous plum, the noble pom, replete with its queenly crown, makes you work for your prize — the plump, succulent arils, or seeds, a bounty worthy of the extra effort they demand. You can open pomegranates with finesse or firmness, the former using a warm, underwater technique that leaves the arils waiting in the water, and the latter a more abrupt method employing a wooden spoon.
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Things You\’ll Need
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Wooden Spoon (Optional)
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Kitchen Knife
Finesse
Step 1
Fill a large bowl with warm water. Slice about 1/2 inch off the crown end of the pomegranate.
Step 2
Score the pomegranate skin 1/4 inch deepfour times from the crown end to the base end, spacing each cut an equal distance from the next.
Step 3
Hold the pomegranate cut-side down under the warm water. Separate the pomegranate into quarters along the scores you made in the skin while holding it underwater.
Step 4
Soak the pomegranate quarters in the warm water for a couple of minutes. Loosen the arils from their cavities gently.
Step 5
Discard the pomegranate shell. Pour the bowl of seeds and water through a mesh strainer. The seeds will remain in the strainer for consumption or juicing.
Firmness
Step 1
Slice the pomegranate in half vertically from crown to base. Place the pomegranate halves cut-side up on the work surface.
Step 2
Cut 4 1-inch slices spaced 1 inch apart crosswise through the seed cavity of each pomegranate half. Hold the pomegranate halves over a deep bowl.
Step 3
Pull the pomegranate halves open without separating them into pieces. Smack the back of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon to dislodge the seeds and eject them into the bowl.
Tip
Wear latex gloves and an apron as you open and seed the pomegranate, as the deeply colored juice can stain your hands and clothing. Work on an easily cleaned or impermeable work surface.
