How To Cut A Pomegranate (With Zero Mess!)

Ever buy a pomegranate only to bring it home and have to clean up a big juicy mess after cutting into it? I think most people have run into that, but no more! Learn how to cut a pomegranate without creating a juicy mess with this quick and easy method. It will become your favorite way to open pomegranates in no time!

Pomegranates, the popular and exotic, ruby red fruit originating in what is now modern day Iran, and Northern India, can be a mess to work with. Typically in season from September to May, the pomegranates deep red color make it a popular fruit during the winter months and holiday season in North America.

Health Benefits of Pomegranates

Used as a garnish in salads, desserts, and even drinks, pomegranate boasts several health benefits. Rich in Vitamin C, K, and dietary fiber, there is no reason not to enjoy plenty of this fruit during the winter months!

Pomegranates are filled with numerous small juice filled seeds called 'arils'. When cut or burst open these seeds tend to stain everything they touch a deep ruby red. Even as a professionally trained Chef, I was never taught how to cut a pomegranate without having the juice run everywhere! Tired of wasting all that juice, (and staining my cutting board and dish towels red), I decided to search out how to properly handle this beautiful looking fruit.

Pomegranates contain 12% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C in just 100g of fruit. - Chef Markus Mueller

This post contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated if a purchase is made through the links provided. For more information please read my affiliate disclosure.

How To Cut A Pomegranate - With No Mess!!

Most people, and chefs I know will simply cut the pomegranate in half, and then submerge it in a bowl of water to loosen the individual seeds without dripping and squirting the red juice everywhere.

Simply cutting the fruit in half though will cause a gush of red liquid to quickly spread across your cutting board. To avoid this problem, I endeavored to find out how pomegranates are cut open by the locals who have grown them in the Mediterranean for years!

After a trip to the library and sifting through various cookbooks, I found this method. Watch the video below for a full tutorial on how to cut a pomegranate the right way!

How To Cut A Pomegranate Step-By-Step

It appears that "peeling" the fruit works much better then cutting right into the pomegranate!

1. Start by scoring around the top end of the pomegranate fruit. Then peel back the skin, revealing the individual fruit sections
2. Cut lines into the skin where the pith connects to the peel. There are usually 4 or 5 sections of seed clusters in the pomegranate.
3. Gently break away the individual fruit sections.
4. Carefully remove the individual arils from the pomegranate into a bowl!

This is by far the easiest (and no mess!) way I have found to cut open a pomegranate! You can even leave the fruit clusters intact and simply eat the seeds right from the pith with no juice wasted!

Now that you have cut and peeled the pomegranate, what to do with all those pomegranate arils!? I've collected various recipes from bloggers around the world, to inspire you to use fresh pomegranate in new and creative ways!

Recipes Using Fresh Pomegranate

Now that you have all that freshly cut pomegranate, what do you do with it?! Here is a small collection of recipes to help you use up all that delicious pomegranate!

1.Pomegranate, Pear, and Pecan Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette - From Sweet and Savory Pursuits

2.Vanilla Pomegranate Mulled Wine - From Justine Celina

3.Pomegranate Lemon Roasted Chicken - From Salt and Lavender

4.Persimmon Cake with Pomegranate Frosting - From Danis Cookings

5.Spicy Meatballs in Pomegranate Sauce - From Vikalinka

6.Turmeric Quinoa with Pomegranates and Walnuts - From Wendy Polisi

7.Pomegranate Apple Chicken Salad - From The Creative Bite

8.Pomegranate Cherry Parfait - From Upstate Ramblings

9.Healthy Pomegranate Breakfast - From Compass and Fork

10.Homemade Pomegranate Syrup - From The Missing Lokness

This post contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated if a purchase is made through the links provided. For more information please read my affiliate disclosure.