The Water Hack To Collect Pomegranate Seeds Without A Mess

The average 9-ounce pomegranate contains a full cup of luscious little juice-packed arils — more commonly known as seeds – each delivering flavor, nutrients, and antioxidants. But pomegranates are also packed full of spongy, white pith that cradles the seeds and protects them in the fruit. This is great for the transport and storage of pomegranates but makes it difficult to remove those juicy arils to use them.

You can jump right in and cut the fruit open, plucking the seeds out one by one, but you'll quickly have a mess on your hands — literally — and on the countertop. Each one of the hundreds of seeds inside each pomegranate has the potential to burst open while you're trying to collect them, staining anything they come into contact with. But don't let this discourage you: The water hack to collect pomegranate seeds is a game-changer, eliminating the mess and making the task easy. All you need to easily and cleanly release pomegranate seeds from their protective casing is a sharp knife, a strainer, and a large mixing bowl filled with cool water.

To begin, wash the pomegranate, then score the fruit in quarters, cutting just into the skin and a little beyond. Hold the pomegranate in both hands and break the sections apart at the score lines as you submerge the fruit into the bowl of water. 

Once the pomegranate is completely underwater, use your fingers to gently release the seeds so that they sink to the bottom of the bowl. The larger bits of pith and membrane that once held the seeds in place will float to the top of the bowl, allowing them to be removed by hand and discarded along with the pomegranate's exterior skin. Strain the seeds and pick out the little remaining bits of pith. The seeds can be used immediately in your favorite recipe or dried off before storing them in an airtight container for up to a week.