Homemade Pomegranate Juice

Homemade Pomegranate Juice Recipe – quick and simple, foolproof way to extract pomegranate juice out of pomegranate arils (seeds).

Festive pomegranates are in season and it is the best time to make some homemade juice. Pomegranates are both delicious and also packed with antioxidants.

Pomegranates come in different varieties Worldwide.

They differ in size, color and taste. Some of the most common varieties are:

Wonderful – one of the most popular varieties, this is what I use in the US all the time. When in Europe, I often get the Parfianka variery. Parfianka pomegranates have sweet, rich flavor.

They have a reddish-pink skin and a good balance of sweetness and acidity. The juice they produce isn’t too dark in color. The Granada pomegranate is smaller in size and typically has a reddish-pink skin. It’s known for its sweet seeds, making it a favorite for snacking. 

There are quite a few different varieties, that you may have seen or see in the future.

Keep in mind that different pomegranate types will produce juice with different taste and color.

How to open a pomegranate and remove the seeds:

1. Wash the Pomegranate: Washing the pomegranate under cold running water to remove any dirt on its outer surface.
2. Cut Off the Top: Use a paring knife to cut off the top (crown) of the pomegranate, about half an inch from the top. You’ll see a small, soft flower-like structure on the crown.
3. Score the Pomegranate: With the top removed, you will see the white membrane that separates the pomegranate into sections. Make shallow cuts with a sharp kinfe along the ridges of the pomegranate, from top to bottom. 
4. Break Apart: Once you’ve scored all around the pomegranate, use your fingers to gently pry it apart into sections. You should have several wedge-shaped sections. This could be done inside a bowl filled with cold water, to avoid and juice splashing.
5. Remove Seeds Underwater (Optional): To prevent juice from squirting everywhere and staining your clothes or countertops, you can choose to remove the seeds in a bowl filled with cold water.
6. Separate the Seeds: Using your fingers or a spoon, gently remove the seeds  from the white membrane. You may have to loosen some seeds by tapping the back of the sections. This is fun and therapeutic! Use gloves, if you’d like to.
7. Drain and Enjoy: Once you’ve removed all the seeds, carefully drain the water if you used the underwater method. Remove any small pieces of membrane left. Use in your recipes.

How to make Pomegranate juice?

Making pomegranate juice is easy, but could get messy. You should definitely be careful, when opening a pomegranate. I have shared with you in a video what is the best and easiest method to do it. You can find it in the recipe section of this recipe: Pomegranate Mojito.

For some of the juicing methods, you do need to separate the arils. Here is how (you may know of another method):

There are 4 ways to do it. I used a high speed powerful blender for my juice and then strained it through a cheesecloth, to get a light and smooth juice.

Manual method

Cut whole pomegranates in half horizontally. Turn down (cut  side facing down) over a bowl and press with a wooden spoon or a manual lemon juicer to release juice and separate the seeds. Strain.

Hand squeezing/pressing 

Cut the pomegranate in half horizontally, like in the previous method.

Hold a half over a juicer with the cut side facing down. Squeeze the pomegranate and twist it to extract the juice (like you squeeze oranges/lemons) into the container. Strain the juice, if necessary.

Using a powerful blender (the method I used)

Cut the pomegranate in half and remove the seeds.

Place the seeds in a blender, and blend on low/medium speed for 30 seconds.

Do not to over-blend, as you don’t want to pulverize the seeds. c

Strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Serve.

Electric juicer method

This is a great method, if you have access to an electric juicer. Cut the fruit in half and juice it according to the juicer’s instructions. Masticating juicer should work as well as citrus juicer. Don’t forget to strain the juice.

What does Pomegranate juice taste like?

Pomegranate juice – this juice has a unique, rich and distinct flavor, sweet and tart, with a taste varying depending on the pomegranate’s ripeness and type.

Another quality- pomegranate juice can have a mildly astringent quality, which is similar to the sensation of dryness or puckering in the mouth. This is due to  to the tannins in the juice.

This is not a health website, so I’m not going to be sharing how healthy or not homemade pomegranate juice is.

What to use this Pomegranate juice for?

I recently shared a recipe for Pomegranate Martini. This is a great opportunity to use your pomegranate juice. While this juice tastes great on its own, it can be used for cooking, cocktails, mocktails, baking or any recipe that calls for Pomegranate juice. 

Pomegranate juice can be a great option for marinating various dishes, especially meats and vegetables.

 

More recipes with pomegranate:

• Cider Pomegranate Refresher
• Quinoa, Pomegranate and Spinach Salad
• Fillet Mignon Fall Salad

Pomegranate countertop stains

You may end up with some scary stains, when working with pomegranates.

Don’t worry, most of the time, these could be removed with a paper towel dipped in lemon juice or vinegar.

Glass cleaner also works sometimes.

I suggest that you use gloves, when handling pomegranates, because the juice may stain your hands and nails.