How to Open a Pomegranate the Easy Way.

Learn how to open a pomegranate easily with this simple tutorial! You can enjoy this fruit without too much of a mess.

Did you know that pomegranates and pomegranate juice are super good for you?  But this fruit is kind of a mystery to some people, so they miss out on its benefits.

I love to eat pomegranates, but for years I had no idea how to open them.  Cutting into them like an apple would make a mess, and also waste a lot of juice. Plus, the juice stains. If you get it on your clothes, it’s not easy to remove those stains.

But I loved the taste of pomegranates. so I wanted to find a way to open them that wasn’t so messy.

Now, there really is not a way to open them that is completely mess free, but this is the easiest way I’ve tried, and the mess is really very minimal. Juice doesn’t get everywhere, so there is minimal staining of clothing or hands. If you are worried about staining your hands though, wear rubber gloves to be safe.

I read about this technique in a magazine a while ago – I believe it was Martha Stewart Living – and it does work, so I thought I’d explain it here for you.

You can also watch my video below to see how I open pomegranates:

Can you eat pomegranate seeds?

The red, juice-filled pulpy pieces are called arils, and inside of each one there is a fibrous seed. Some people choose to eat this seed, while others simply suck the juice out and spit out the seed. It seems to be safe to eat the seeds, so it’s really up to you!

What is the best way to open a pomegranate?

1. Hold the pomegranate firmly. Take a sharp knife and stick it straight into the middle of the pomegranate and push all the way down.

2. Twist the knife around until the pomegranate starts to split open. A pretty big crack will appear almost instantly.

3. Move and twist the knife until the halves pop apart.

4. Once it’s open, simply peel away any membrane, and gently use your fingers to scoop out the seeds into a small bowl. Usually I eat them right away, but you can store them in the refrigerator this way for a few days.

Pomegranate arils are delicious on top of oatmeal, cheesecake, or on top of fruit salad. Or you can just enjoy them plain!

How do you remove pomegranate juice stains?

Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to remove pomegranate juice stains from clothing. I recommend wearing an apron when you do this so that you don’t ruin your clothes. You can read about methods that may possibly work to remove stains here.

This post was originally published in March 2013. It has been updated.