Removing the Seeds
Remove the crown of the pomegranate with a knife. Set the pomegranate upright so the indented top points upwards. With a sharp knife, carefully cut a circle around the top of the fruit, trying to only cut the peel, not the seeds. Pop the top of the peel off to reveal the seeds on the inside of the pomegranate.
Slice the pomegranate into 4 equal sections. Start by slicing the pomegranate in half from the indented tip to the very bottom. Then, slice those halves in half to give yourself 4 equal chunks of pomegranate.Tip: Follow the lines of the membrane inside the fruit to avoid cutting the seeds.
Submerge the slices in a bowl of cold water. Fill a large bowl with cold water from your sink, then put your pomegranate chunks into the bowl. Make sure they’re fully submerged so that the seeds are easier to take out. You may see some of the rind start to float to the top of the water, but that’s fine.
Break apart the sections with your fingers and remove the seeds. Using your fingers, gently press into the sides of the chunks to push the seeds off the peel. Try not to squish the seeds and pop them, or they’ll release their juice into the water. Carefully pick off all the seeds from each chunk until the peels are bare. The more gentle you are, the more juice you will save to drink later.
Remove the membrane and peels with a slotted spoon. Pick out any large pieces of peel with your hands, then use a strainer or a slotted spoon to get rid of the rest. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally catching them in your spoon. The membrane and the peel aren’t edible and don’t taste very good, which is why you want to throw them away.
Drain the seeds in a strainer. Pour your bowl of seeds into a strainer and let the water drain out. Shake the seeds around a few times to get rid of the majority of the water, and pick out any large pieces of peel or membrane that you see. You don’t need to rinse your seeds since they’ve already been sitting in a bowl of water.
Blending and Straining the Seeds
Pour your pomegranate seeds into a blender. If you see any lingering pieces of peel or membrane, pick those out before you start your blender. Close the blender lid tightly to avoid any mishaps.Warning: Pomegranate seeds will stain light-colored clothing, floors, and walls, so make sure the lid is on super tight.
Pulse the blender 2 to 3 times. Try not to blend your seeds for too long, or you’ll end up with cloudy juice. Just pulse it 2 to 3 times until the seeds are mostly broken up and there’s red or pink liquid in the blender. You’re not trying to fully blend the seeds into a liquid, you’re just opening them up to release the juice.
Strain the seeds through a mesh strainer into a glass. Find a fine mesh strainer and position it over your glass. Pour the seeds out of the blender through the strainer and allow the juice to drain into your cup for 1 to 2 minutes. It might look like nothing is coming through the strainer, but the juice will eventually run into your cup.
Push the seeds against the strainer with a spoon. To get as much juice as possible, use a metal spoon to push the back of the seeds into the strainer. Try not to push them through it, just press down on them so they release any extra juice. You can throw away the pulp left in the strainer once you’re done.
Chill your juice or drink it right away. If you prefer your pomegranate juice cold, place your glass in the fridge for 30 minutes before you drink it. Otherwise, sip on your pomegranate juice to enjoy the tart, sweet taste right away. You can dilute your pomegranate juice with ⁄2 cup (120 mL) of sparkling or mineral water for a less intense flavor. Add 1 tsp (0.5 g) of granulated sugar to sweeten your juice.
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