How To Cut and Seed a Pomegranate the Easy Way

Pomegranate adds tart, vibrant flavor along with jewel-like color to salads, cocktails, desserts, and more. You want to uncover all of those delicious arils inside your pomegranate, but what’s the easiest way to get the job done?

Breaking open this beautiful fruit can be a chore, but we've simplified the steps so you can skip straight to the good stuff. There are plenty of ways to cut a pomegranate, but this method makes the process easy. 

What You Need:

Pomegranate - A ripe fruit is heavy for its size, has a leathery skin, is void of green spots, and doesn’t sound hollow when tapped. 

Water - Like any food you plan on cutting, you’ll need to give your pomegranate a good rinse under cool, running water to clean it.

A sharp knife - A small paring knife works best for this task. 

Cutting board - A heavy board that’s dedicated for fruits and vegetables is ideal. 

A bowl - This is for storing all of your beautiful, delicious arils.

Parts of the Pomegranate

Crown: the “calyx” or top/blossom end of the pomegranate

Arils: the juice-filled pockets in the fruit that contain the seeds 

Segments: the membranes within the fruit that create segmented walls 

How to Cut a Pomegranate

Step 1: Wash the pomegranate under cool, running water. Pat dry with a clean towel or paper towels. 

Step 2: Place a damp paper towel on your work surface then cover with your cutting board. This creates a stable surface for knife work.

Step 3: Use a sharp paring knife to remove a small slice off the bottom of the pomegranate. Sit the fruit, flat-side down on the cutting board with the top (crown) facing up. 

Step 4: Grip your knife with your thumb flat against one side of the blade and index finger on the other side. Insert the blade of the paring knife into the top (crown) of the fruit at a 45°angle and rotate the pomegranate, cutting to reveal the arils and segments.

Step 5: Locate the segments inside (where the white membrane walls are) and follow them to where they connect with the skin. These segments often align with ridges on the skin. Use the tip of the knife to make a ¼-inch score on the outside of the pomegranate, along the ridges, from the crown end to the stem end. 

Step 6: Pull pomegranate apart into sections to reveal arils. Break over a bowl, using your fingers to pry arils out of the segments.

Disclaimer: Cutting a pomegranate can be messy. Be sure to wear an apron and have a kitchen towel nearby for any splatters.

Related:

Ready to put those pomegranate arils to good use? Try one of these great pomegranate recipes!

• What Is Pomegranate Molasses?
• Pomegranate Cocktail Recipes