A Pomegranate Seeding Technique You Have to Try to Believe

Yesterday, Bon Appetit shared a method for seeding pomegranates that they claimed was “the only good way” to go about it. The post on their site came accompanied by a story about a woman eating pre-seeded pomegranate on the subway and a pretty spectacular GIF of the method they touted. So what exactly were they claiming is the best way to seed a pomegranate and does it actually work? Obviously, I had to find out.

The trick at hand: Slice a pomegranate in half, around the middle, and hold it over a bowl of water, seed side down. To get those pesky fruits out, they recommend whacking the back of the pomegranate, the side that’s facing you, with a wooden spoon. The kernels should fall into the bowl of water underhand. Hmmm. The GIF seemed appealing, but I was unconvinced. Wouldn’t this just cause a huge mess? Like a bright red and juicy kind of mess? I had always been taught that the key to pomegranates was to be methodical. I usually submerge my halved pomegranate in water and pick out the kernels with my thumbs. Keeping it underwater loosens the fruit and prevents any unwanted spraying. Bon Appetit’s suggestion seemed to adhere to oppositional logic.

Nonetheless, I tried it. Per their instructions, I prepped my water bowl, sliced my fruit, and got to whacking. I opted for a wooden spoon, though I imagine any flat, blunt object would do the trick. And whack I did. I whacked so hard, and so loud, that my roommate came out of her room to see what was up. I whacked so hard that a stray hit left me with a slight sting on the knuckle of my thumb. I whacked so hard that bright pink kernels began to collect at the bottom of my bowl. The trick, it seemed, was working. And pretty well, at that. Every piece of pomegranate fell directly into the bowl and, contrary to my expectations, with very little splash. It didn’t even take that long. I’d estimate that I was only going at it for something like 30 second per side. With a tap here and tap there, I was able to evacuate the rind of its pearly fruits, save a few I had to dig out with my fingers. A bunch of ruby red gems gathered in the bowl and, after a little rinsing and straining, were ready to go.

Behold me trying out the hack above. My roommate, Isa, filmed me in my element (don't mind the lighting, she went to film school). So, there you have it. Bon Appetit, it seems, is onto something. Next time you find yourself with a pomegranate (and I hope it’s soon because they are great) you’ll know what to do. Don’t be daunted, grab your wooden spoon and go for it.

What's your go-to pomegranate seeding technique? Tell us about it in the comments.