Why You Should Be Using A Wooden Spoon To Deseed Pomegranates

Pomegranate seeds are an easy way to add a burst of fresh, tangy flavor to dishes, whether you toss them in a green salad or sprinkle them over a yogurt bowl. And for as delicious as pomegranates are, they're also very good for you. The juicy red fruit is packed with fiber, antioxidants, and plenty of vitamins and minerals (including vitamins C and K) that studies have shown can reduce risk of heart disease, improve digestion, and even boost your memory.

There's really only one problem with eating pomegranates: They're notoriously difficult to cut and deseed. Trying to pop out seed by seed is a painstaking process that often leaves you frustrated and covered in juice. While you can buy packs of prepared pomegranate seeds at the grocery store, those tend to be expensive — and there's an easier solution. According to TODAY and other culinary experts, you can easily deseed your pomegranate at home with the help of a wooden spoon.

In an attempt to figure out the best way to open and deseed a pomegranate, TODAY's Katie Quinn put two popular hacks to the test and found that using a wooden spoon is the easiest method. Other food magazines and bloggers agree, with Real Simple providing a step-by-step breakdown of the process. First, cut around the center of the pomegranate to break it apart into two halves. Quinn notes you don't have to cut all the way through, just enough to break the membrane.

Once you have your two halves, hold one over top an empty bowl with the cut side facing down. Take your trusty wooden spoon and start firmly smacking the top of the pomegranate half (on the side that still has the rind). The seeds should start falling out into your bowl. Continue whacking with your spoon until there are no more seeds left in the fruit and then repeat with the other half. Easy-peasy!