How to Make Pomegranate Juice

Before you start

Pomegranate juice should taste tart, sweet and winey. The bitterness people complain about comes from two places: the spongy white pith around the arils, and the hard inner seeds if they are crushed. So the method is all about separation. Free the arils in a bowl of water, where the pith floats and the arils sink, then pulse them just long enough to burst the juice sacs without grinding the seeds.

Expect roughly 120 ml (4 oz) of juice from a large, heavy fruit. Pick pomegranates that feel dense for their size with taut, leathery skin. Wear an apron; the juice stains fabric, wood and grout almost instantly.

Ingredients

• 3 large (about 1.3 kg total) pomegranates — heavy for their size
• 1 large bowl cold water — for releasing the arils
• 5 to 10 ml (1 to 2 tsp) fresh lemon juice — optional, if the fruit is very sweet
• 1 tsp to 1 tbsp sugar or honey — optional, only if the fruit is very tart

Method

1. Score each pomegranate around its equator just through the skin, then cut a shallow cone out of the crown. Pull the fruit apart into halves, then break each half into sections along the white membranes.
2. Submerge the sections in a large bowl of cold water and push the arils loose with your thumbs. The arils sink while the pith floats, and the water keeps juice from spraying.
3. Skim off the floating pith with a slotted spoon and discard it. Drain the arils in a sieve and pick out any remaining white bits; you should have about 3 cups (about 500 g) of arils.
4. Put the arils in the blender and pulse in short 1-second bursts, 4 to 6 times, until the juice sacs have burst and the mix looks like red liquid with whole pale seeds. Do not run the blender continuously; crushed seeds make the juice bitter and cloudy.
5. Pour through a fine sieve set over a bowl and press gently with a spatula to push the juice through. Stop pressing when only seeds remain; scraping hard forces bitter fragments through.
6. Taste. Brighten with lemon or round out with a little sugar or honey if needed, then serve chilled.

Tips for success

• No blender? Put the arils in a zip-top bag, press out the air, and roll a rolling pin over it until the arils burst, then strain.
• A citrus press on halved fruit is fast but squeezes juice out of the pith too, so the result is noticeably more astringent.
• Rinse cutting boards and the blender jar right after use to keep stains from setting.

Substitutions

Fresh pomegranates

Packaged fresh arils work the same way and save the seeding step, though they can be less juicy. Bottled 100% pomegranate juice is pasteurized and more concentrated in flavor.

Lemon juice

A splash of lime gives a sharper edge. Skip acid entirely if the fruit already tastes tart.

Sugar or honey

A small splash of orange juice sweetens naturally and adds a citrus note that suits pomegranate.

Variations

Pomegranate spritzer

Mix 90 ml juice with 90 ml soda water over ice and add a lime wedge.

Pomegranate-orange

Blend half pomegranate juice and half fresh orange juice for a milder, sweeter glass.

Troubleshooting

The juice is bitter and tannic

Seeds were ground or pith got in. Pulse less, remove every white fragment before blending and press the pulp gently rather than scraping it.

The juice is brownish or cloudy

Over-blending incorporated seed particles. Let it settle for 10 minutes and pour off the clear top layer, or strain through a coffee filter.

Very little juice

The fruit was old and dried out, or the arils were pale. Choose heavy fruit with deep red arils and press the pulp a little longer.

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered jar and drink within 2 to 3 days; the flavor softens and can turn slightly fermented after that. Freeze extra in ice cube trays for up to 3 months and use the cubes in drinks or sauces.

Safety notes

Fresh, unpasteurized juice can contain harmful bacteria according to FDA; pasteurized juice is the safer choice for children, pregnant people, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.