How to remove the pips easily

Pay attention to fresh and ripe fruits

The kernels must be plump, juicy, aromatic and brightly red in color. Sometimes the disappointment is great when the inside emerges at home. But then it's too late. So you can pay attention to fresh and ripe fruit when buying:

• select only plump fruits that fill up tightly
• soft spots are signs that the fruit is rotting
• the peel should be shiny and not dried out
• there should be no mold in the flower base; possibly. smell it
• the variety with the reddish skin is more suitable for fresh consumption

So the kernels come out without a mess

To date, no device has been developed for pitting a pomegranate. Therefore, “hard” manual labor awaits you before you can enjoy it. What is common practice with a conventional apple should be avoided as much as possible with the pomegranate: cutting through with a knife. You do that once and never again.

When the kernels are cut, their red juice splashes everywhere where it is not wanted. Clothes, table, chairs... nothing is spared. In order for the pomegranate juice to produce its pips without a mess, they must remain intact or the flight force of their juice must be slowed down. These methods are known so far:

• Carefully break the pomegranate into pieces
• Knock out the seeds with a wooden spoon
• Open pomegranate under water

Carefully cut the pomegranate

With this variant, a sharp knife can be used, albeit tentatively. Since, with all due care, a few pips can still burst, you should place the pomegranate on a large tray. Wearing old clothes or an apron and gloves won't do any harm. How to properly cut the pomegranate to get better access to its seeds:

1. With a sharp knife, remove the two ends of the pomegranate by cutting off a slice at a time. If you're not sure how far to cut, you can gradually feel your way inside. Once the cores are visible, you've removed enough.
2. At the opened ends, use the tip of the knife to get as much visible, white pulp out as you can without damaging the stones.
3. Now cut the pomegranate peel lengthways 5-6 times without taking in the seeds underneath. The optimal cutting lines are located where the individual chambers are separated from each other by the white pulp. You can see this by the cut ends.
4. Take the pomegranate in both hands and try to break it into pieces by carefully pulling it apart. You may need to deepen the interfaces a little here and there.
5. When you have successfully cut the pomegranate, get your hands close to the pips in order to remove them piece by piece in a bowl.

Knock out the seeds with a wooden spoon

The laborious pulling out of the kernels by hand can also be done by a wooden spoon, but it requires a lot of muscle power. They are not just spooned out, but beaten out. This is how you do it:

1. Place the pomegranate on a large plastic tray or plate because some juice may come out when you cut it. Wooden boards are not ideal as the red juice will stain them.
2. Cut into the pomegranate about 1/2 cm deep all around.
3. Grasp each half with one hand and twist them in different directions. The two halves separate from each other. You then have one half with the stem end and one half with the flower base.
4. Hold a pomegranate half over a large bowl with the open cut surface facing down.
5. Tap the outer shell vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon until all the kernels have gradually fallen out.
6. Stubborn kernels that are still firmly in place can be carefully removed by hand by breaking the shell into pieces to expose the kernels.

Open pomegranate under water

With this method, a few kernels can burst, but the escaping juice cannot spread all over the room thanks to the braking effect of the water.

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water.
2. Cut off both ends of the pomegranate.
3. Break the pomegranate apart with your hands under the water.
4. Remove the exposed kernels from the shell by hand. The heavy cores then sink to the bottom while the thin separating membranes float on the surface of the water.
5. Fish out the inedible pomegranate pieces by hand.
6. Then pour the contents through a sieve to catch the seeds.
7. Rinse the seeds well with clean water.

durability

Fresh pomegranate seeds are too tempting to wait too long for a willing eater. Undamaged pomegranate seeds can also be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to two days.

Conclusion for quick readers

• Ripe characteristics: Shiny skin, plump fruit without soft spots; is heavy in the hand
• Tip: The red-skinned variety is more delicious to eat fresh
• Challenge: cores burst; the juice splashes around and leaves red spots
• Clean methods: carefully slice the fruit; Knock out kernels; Core under water
• Divide the fruit: cut off the ends; Cut long 5-6 times; Break apart and take out cores
• Knock out: cut 0.5 cm deep all around; Separate in half
• Knock out: hold half over bowl; tap the bowl with a wooden spoon; Cores fall out
• Underwater: cut off ends; Break the fruit apart in a bowl of water
• Underwater: fish out white parts; Pour the rest through the sieve and rinse out the seeds
• Shelf life: Undamaged kernels can be kept for two days in the refrigerator