Do you make a mess when you open a grenade? Try this method!

Even if you don’t eat the skin, start by washing your pomegranate. The knife could carry dirt from the outside onto the seeds.

Next, place the fruit on a stable cutting board, with a bowl nearby. Have a sharp knife and a dish towel ready to wipe up any drips.

Our tip: Avoid cutting the pomegranate directly in half through all the seeds. That’s often when the juice splatters everywhere!

Do you see the crown on top of the pomegranate? That will serve as your guide.

Carefully remove this part with the tip of the knife, without pushing the blade in too deeply. You may then be able to make out the white membranes that separate the segments.

These membranes are very helpful: they guide your cuts so you don’t pierce too many seeds. A little patience at the start means a lot less cleanup afterward ;-)

Make small cuts in the skin, from top to bottom, following the natural divisions.

Then, using your fingers, gently pull the segments apart. If the fruit resists, extend one of the cuts slightly rather than pulling too hard.

This will give you several open sections, with seeds that are easier to remove. And most importantly, you’ll avoid squishing half the fruit!

This is our favorite technique for minimizing splatter!

Fill a salad bowl with cold water, submerge the segments, and remove the seeds with your fingers.

The small white membranes often float to the surface, while many seeds sink to the bottom. All that’s left to do is remove the membranes and then drain everything.

Be careful—the separation isn’t always perfect: check for any remaining pieces of skin before serving.

You may have seen videos where people tap a halved pomegranate with a wooden spoon to dislodge the seeds.

This technique can work, but it can also cause some seeds to burst and juice to splatter. If you want to try it, place a deep bowl underneath and tap gently.

For a neater result, people generally prefer cutting the fruit into wedges and using a bowl of water.

Add them to a lamb's lettuce salad, cottage cheese, or roasted vegetables. Their slightly tangy flavor works wonders!

Need a more original idea? Check out our recipe for butternut squash stuffed with quinoa and pomegranate:



If you prepare the seeds in advance, store them in the refrigerator in a clean container and use them up quickly.

See, opening a pomegranate isn’t that complicated after all!

What about you—what method do you use? Tell us all about it in the comments ;-)