How To De-Seed A Pomegranate

Pomegranates are the most beautiful fruit, with their polished rosy skins concealing glinting rubies within.  But the downside is that they are so sticky and fiddly, if you’re not careful you can get into a real mess!

For this reason it’s a good idea to prepare pomegranates in advance. They keep very well in a covered container in the fridge for a few days, and you can use a handful here and there to decorate your dishes and add a little sweet juiciness without any waste.

There are a few different ways to get the seeds out, but this one’s my favourite because it’s so quick and easy and you don’t get sticky. Because it’s done under water, it controls the mess and the seeds stay fresher for longer.

• With a sharp knife, slice the top off the fruit an inch from the top.
• Then make 4 or 5 cuts into the skin of the fruit at regular intervals around it’s circumference. Cut deep enough to go through the skin but not enough to damage the seeds.
• Submerge the pomegranate cut side down into a large bowl of water.
• After 5 – 10 mins and holding the fruit with both hands, pull it gently apart into pieces.
• The seeds will start to drop away and sink and the pithy skin will float on top of the water.
• Gently separate any seeds which are still connected to the bits of peel.
• Remove all the bits which are floating on the surface, and strain the seeds into a sieve or colander.
• The seeds keep fresh in a covered container in the fridge for a few days, ready to use at your convenience.