How to Seed a Pomegranate in Under Two Minutes

One of the most prolific fruit trees in my yard is our pomegranate tree. We've had our tree for a few years, and this year, finally, we got a bumper crop. Once I got the first ripe fruit, though, I realized how much I hate pomegranates. Not because I dislike the fruit, but because I dislike getting the edible part out.

If you've never seeded a pomegranate, let me explain what it's like. Imagine 1,000 tiny grapes all superglued to tissue paper, tightly packed in a leather ball.

I spent years trying to find the best way to seed them, reading all the infinite wisdom that the internet has to offer on the subject.

"Break them up submersed in water and all of the inedible parts float, while the seeds sink." Nope. The inedible parts sink as well, and—45 minutes of seed-removal later—half of the seeds go down the drain with the water.

"Roll the pomegranate with the ends cut off, pulling out the seeds as they loosen." Insane. This creates a mess and most of the seeds end up bursting on your fingers. And 45 minutes later you're trying to scrub the red stains off your counter.


And then our friend Anna visited from Vietnam and couldn't believe how much work we were going through to seed our pomegranates.

So now, friends, I will share with you the authentic Vietnamese method that Anna shared with me, which one day you will share with your children, and your children's children, and your lives will be forever changed.

1. Using a sharp knife, score the pomegranate around the middle (i.e. the equator), cutting only through the skin. Pull the halves apart.

2. Holding half of the pomegranate over a bowl, "give it a good whacking." In other words, whack the skin side with a wooden spoon repeatedly, all around. Don't hold back—this is a good time to let out any pent up frustrations.

3. Repeat with the other half.

4. Play outside in the garden with the extra time you now have from realizing that a pomegranate is extremely easy to seed.

I used to be extremely stingy with pomegranate because it took so long to process.  I am now happy to let my kids eat as much as they want, since pomegranates are healthy (rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, while being low in calories) and easy to seed now that I know the secret.

Thank you, Anna, for making our lives more efficient. I can't wait to see what other time savers you have in store for us the next time you come for a visit.