How to Juice a Pomegranate

This is for those of you who, like me, are a bit mystified by pomegranates. Our recent Ruby Yacht cocktail (our new year's eve drink of choice!) calls for fresh pomegranate juice. It certainly wasn't obvious to me how to get juice out of this somewhat strange and seedy fruit, so here is our illustrated tutorial.

It is actually quite easy, and not even that labor intensive. I wouldn't want to sit around juicing pomegranates all day, but don't be intimidated by the task of juicing one or two. You'll get about 1/4 to 1/3 cup out of one pomegranate which is enough to whip up several Ruby Yachts.

How to Juice a Pomegranate

Find yourself an unblemished pomegranate. Roll the pomegranate around on a cutting board, pressing down with the heel of your hand to crush the internal cells. You will hear the crackling sound of popping membranes. (Yes, this whole scenario is just as gory as it sounds!) Roll your pom around, pressing until the fruit feels somewhat flaccid, taking care not to breach the skin or the juice will squirt out (and the juice stains - so watch out.) Hold the pomegranate over a bowl and pierce it gently in one spot with a knife, releasing the juice into the bowl. Our pom squirted like a geyser shocking us both, so do be careful that nothing you care about staining is in its way. Squeeze to release more juice. Place a colander over the bowl and scoop out the seeds into it, pressing gently with a wooden spoon to eek out a bit more juice. You should get about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of juice.