Sweet and slightly tangy pomegranate juice is at your fingertips. Get fresh pomegranate juice by deseeding them like a pro and juicing them with a blender at home with this recipe.
What’s a pomegranate?
Pomegranates are a fruit-bearing shrub plant that originated from Iran and North India in 3500 BCE. Cultivation quickly spread through the Mediterranean and now it’s all over the world. The name pomegranate is derived from Latin, pōmum “apple” and grānātum “seeded.”
Its vibrant shades of red and maroon thick skin and bulbous shape is easily recognizable in many settings, but it’s also known for its unending amount of juicy and crisp crimson seeds inside. There are so many ways to eat and consume pomegranates.
Benefits of pomegranate
Recent research does provide us with some evidence that pomegranates (and pomegranate extracts) do have some health benefits in anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer characteristics. Pomegranates and pomegranate juice are filled with many antioxidants, but it’s important to note that there needs to be more studies and trials done to really figure out what these antioxidants can do for the body as well as other potential health benefits it can provide.
What to do with pomegranate
You can eat the crunchy seeds straight up raw, add them as a salad topping, or even juicing them is delicious. You don’t even need a fancy juicer to get all the sweet and tangy juice from these seeds, all you need is a blender, a food processor, or even a hand blender.
One of the most popular ingredients for cocktails and mocktails is grenadine, a bright red syrup that’s added to Shirley temples, tequila sunrises, and hurricanes. But something I just learned is that grenadine is made of pomegranate juice (albeit heavily sugared and processed pomegranate juice.
How to deseed a pomegranate
One thing to note about pomegranates is that the crimson red juice that we love from this fruit also has a downfall–they stain surfaces and fabrics easily. If you’re wondering how on earth you would remove the seeds without getting stains on your counter or clothes, all you need is a knife, one large mixing bowl, and water.
- Identify the top of the pomegranate (it usually has the flowering opening).
- Use a knife to carefully cut out a square with a 1 inch perimeter around the top. Remove the top.
- Identify the sections of the white membranes, these divide the pomegranate.
- Use the knife to cut shallow slits alongside each membrane section.
- Fill your bowl with water and bring the pomegranate under the water. Use your hands to open each section of the fruit and begin to remove the seeds from the skim and membrane under the water. Continue until you’ve removed all of the skin and membranes.
- Use a spoon strainer or your hands to remove any of the floating skin/membranes from the top of the water. To remove more membranes stuck on the seeds, dip your hands into the bowl of seeds and gently rub the seeds together between the palms of your hands to loosen the skin. Remove all the floating bits.
How to juice pomegranate
Juicing fresh pomegranates might sound confusing because you don’t want to drink any of the seeds or you think you might need a juicer, but it’s much simpler than that. I like to use a blender for easy
Here are some tips to get the best juice:
- Only blend for about 1-2 seconds or until the seeds have burst, but BEFORE the seeds are blended. This means you want to stop while your juice is still red and hasn’t turned cloudy pink.
- Use a cheesecloth lined strainer to remove the excess seeds. Wrap the cheesecloth into a sack and use your hands to gently squeeze the excess juice out of the pomegranate mixture.
- Transfer your juice into a jar and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. I love chilled pomegranate juice because it gives it a refreshing flavor.
Serving and storage
To serve pomegranate juice, all you need is a cup! But you can also jazz it up and add other ingredients like mint, fizzy water, or other fruits like oranges and orange juice. You can also add it with other drinks like iced matcha, green or black tea, or even add boba! You can store pomegranate juice for up to 3 days in the fridge with an airtight lid before the flavor degrades.
How To Make Pomegranate Juice
Ingredients
- 2 large pomegranates
Equipment Used
- knife
- large mixing bowl
- blender or hand blender or food processor
- Strainer
- cheesecloth
Instructions
De-seed pomegranate
- Identify the top of the pomegranate with the flowering leaves. Take a knife and cut a 1 inch perimeter around the top of the fruit.
- Remove the top and discard (or compost!).
- Identify the sections of the pomegranate inside the top hole by the white, skin-like membranes. Use the knife to cut alongside each membrane from the top down. It will look like an "X" if you're looking top down.
- Fill a large mixing bowl with water, enough to submerge the size of the pomegranate.
- Under the water, use your hands to separate each section. Use your fingers to remove the seeds from the skin and the membranes.
- After removing all the seeds, discard the skin and membranes that float to the top of the water. To remove excess skin on the seeds themselves, gently rub the seeds in between your palms under the water. Twirl the seeds in the water and watch the skin/membrane pieces float to the top. Use a strainer or your hands to scoop up the discards and throw it away.
Juicing pomegranate
- Add the seeds into a blender (or cup if using a hand blender or food processor).
- Add the lid for the blender and run for about 1 to 2 seconds or until the seeds have burst turning it into a red juice. NOTE: Use pulsing actions to prevent bursting the seeds or you will end up with cloudy juice.
- Line a strainer over a mixing bowl with cheesecloth and pour the juice into the cheesecloth. Take the corners and wrap it into a sack. Use your hands to gently squeeze out the excess juice.
- Transfer the juice into a glass container with a lid and chill for about 30 minutes. OR serve it immediately.
Notes
- For a sparkling pomegranate juice, add fizzy water.
- For a sweeter citrus drink, add orange or oranges for a sweeter drink or lemon and lime for a sweet and sour balance.
- For a fresh flavor, take a few clean mint leaves and slap them in your hand. Drop them into your pomegranate juice and enjoy.
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