Let’s talk about pomegranate juice.
It’s like the red wine of fruit juices. It’s deliciously tart and sweet, and sipping on it just makes us feel really fancy.
… OK, on second thought, maybe red wine is the red wine of fruit juices.
Regardless, we think life could always use a bit more pomegranate juice — even though the price of pom juice at the grocery store makes us wanna cry over a glass of red wine.
That’s why we rounded up four easy ways to juice a pomegranate at home, no matter your budget or what kind of equipment you have.
The most important first step of juicing a pomegranate is to get the arils, sometimes just called seeds, out of the fruit. This step is a pre-req for most of the juicing methods below.
Here’s how to do it:
- Cut a pomegranate in half, hamburger-style.
- Gently remove as much of the white membrane as you can.
- Hold one pomegranate half upside down over a large bowl, and thwack it with a wooden spoon until the arils loosen and fall into the bowl.
- Repeat with the other side. You can gently pry stubborn arils out with your fingers, just know that anything beyond a light touch may cause them to burst.
Now, you’re ready to get juicy.
Here they are — let’s pomegran it!
The easiest: Hand juicing with a manual citrus juicer
- What you’ll need: a lemon squeezer or manual juicer
- How much juice you’ll get: 50 percent to 75 percent
- Cost: varies
A manual lemon squeezer or countertop citrus juicer can make quick work of a pomegranate, and you won’t even have to remove the arils from the fruit. Just cut the pomegranate in half or quarters, place it in the citrus juicer, and squeeze or pull the handle, depending on the type you have, to get the pom juice flowing. You may have to pick a few stray seeds out of your juice, but the juicer should catch most of them.
This method isn’t recommended if you’re going for maximum juice extraction because you’ll probably have some leftover, untouched arils hanging around unless you really give it all you’ve got. But if you just need a bit of pomegranate juice quickly for a single recipe, it’s easy-peasy pomegranate-squeezy.
Note: This works a little better with a handle-style citrus juicer, rather than the dish-style ones that have a ribbed cone in the center that you press the fruit down on — although that one would work, too.
The fastest: Blender
- What you’ll need: a blender, plus straining mesh
- How much juice you’ll get:70 percent to 80 percent
- Cost: varies
If you want to eliminate some of the grunt work that a juicer requires, this method might be for you. Whether you have a $20 single-serving blender or a high tech one, either will do.
To juice a pom with a blender, all you need to do is remove the arils from the pomegranate, put them in the blender cup, and pulse your blender a few times until the arils are liquefied.
This liquid will still have all the seeds, so your final step will be to pour it over a strainer to separate the juice. You can squeeze even more juice out by pressing on the pulp in the strainer with a spoon.
The most effective: Electric slow juicer
- What you’ll need: electric slow juicer (sometimes called a masticating or cold press juicer)
- How much juice you’ll get: 90 percent or more
- Cost: $100-plus
If you happen to already have one, or if you’re willing to invest a chunk of change in pomegranate juicing, an electric slow juicer or masticating juicer is by far the best option.
When powered on, the motor in these juicers slowly turns the produce to break it into small pieces, then forces these pieces against a fine mesh sieve to extract the juice. It conveniently separates the juice and pulp during this process as well, so you won’t have to strain it yourself. Just make sure you only feed arils into the juicer, and not the whole pomegranate.
It’s no mess and no fuss, but these juicers can be on the pricey side.
The low tech, in-a-pinch option: Zip-top plastic bag
- What you’ll need: zip-top plastic bag, mesh strainer
- How much juice you’ll get: about 50 percent to 75 percent
- Cost: a few bucks
If you’re in the middle of a pomegranate juicing emergency without a blender or a juicer, just grab yourself a zip-top bag. Note: A freezer one might be better because it’s a little thicker than regular zip-top bags.
Separate the arils from the fruit and put them all in the bag, then seal it and start squishing. You can do it by hand, or roll the bag with a rolling pin. Make sure you roll gently enough to keep from breaking the bag. This may take a little time, and it won’t be nearly as effective as any of the other methods. But we get it — sometimes you just need a pomosa.
To strain out the seeds and pulp, you can either pour the juice over a mesh strainer so it strains into a bowl, or you can cut a small piece off the corner of the bag and let it drain into a bowl. Just make sure the cut is small enough that seeds won’t slip through.
Pomegranate juice is tart and punchy, with a bit of sweetness. This makes it a good fit for desserts and alcoholic bevvies, or for adding some complexity to savory dishes. It’s also good for sipping all on its own, or for dressing up your sparkling water a bit.
Here are some of our favorite ways to use it:
- in a sticky-sweet balsamic glaze for chicken thighs
- in a summery, alcohol-free pomegranate-lime rickey
- in homemade grenadine to add to all of our favorite drinks
- to add a delicate pink color and sweet-tart flavor to homemade macaron filling
- over roast duck as part of fesenjan sauce (a Persian sauce with pom juice, quince, and walnuts)
- in a pom-berry smoothie
- as a cozy nightcap, like this warm pomegranate spiced wine recipe
- in a breezy, nonalcoholic spritzer
Pomegranate juice isn’t just tasty, though — it’s actually loaded with minerals and antioxidants, too. (Pom poms for pomegranate juice!)
It’s notably high in potassium, magnesium, and copper, as well as anthocyanin antioxidants — which gives the juice its deep red hue.
Studies show that pomegranate juice has serious *pom*tential to reduce blood pressure and improve heart health in humans, and to reduce inflammation and improve inflammatory conditions like type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis in animals.
But despite all these great potential benefits of pom juice, it’s important to remember that fruit juices of all kinds can be pretty high in sugars that are naturally found in fruits and juices, called fructose — and that they don’t have any of the fiber that the whole fruit contains.
If you’re trying to limit sugar, go for a fresh pomegranate rather than pom juice.
Regardless, if wanna give yourself a daily nutrient and antioxidant boost, just drop a pom on it.
Pomegranate juice is really tasty, and loaded with minerals and antioxidants. To juice your own poms, you can use a manual juicer, blender, or even a zip-top bag.
But the gold standard in both effectiveness and price is using an electric slow juicer, which can extract the most juice with the lowest amount of fuss.
