Pomegranate juice is not only delicious and packed with health benefits, but it’s also prized for its versatility in the kitchen. People use it for everything from making cocktails like the pomegranate gin fizz to whipping up pomegranate ice cream. While you can easily buy packaged pom juice at the store, homemade pom juice will always taste better. But extracting juice from a fresh pomegranate can be a bit tricky, because the arils — the ruby red, juicy capsule inside the pomegranate — have a tough seed in the center. You can’t just squeeze it to get to the juice.
So here’s a nifty trick for you: a handle-style citrus squeezer can work pretty well as a makeshift pom juice extractor. Simply quarter your ripe pomegranate and place the pieces in the squeezer, the fleshy side facing outward. Push down on the handle, and you’ll instantly see the juice flowing out the bottom. Just make sure you have a cup or bowl ready to catch it.
If you need pomegranate juice in a hurry and don’t have a blender or food processor, this method is a lifesaver. The only downside is that it may not extract every last drop of juice like some other methods. You’ll still find some unjuiced arils stuck inside the squeezer once you’re done (though these will work superbly as a small snack).
The best kind of citrus squeezer to use
The trick here works best with a handle-style citrus squeezer. This type of squeezer looks like a pair of tongs with a small “bowl” attached to the end, where you can place your freshly quartered pomegranate and then press down on the handle to extract the juice.
There’s another type of citrus squeezer called a dish-style squeezer (also called a citrus reamer). It has a ribbed bulb in the center where you can press and twist half of a fruit to extract the juice. While this kind of squeezer can be used with pomegranates, it’s a lot more difficult to get the juice out. Plus, you won’t be able to extract a lot of juice with it, either, because a lot of the arils may fall off the bulb as you twist the pomegranate onto it.
If you only have a dish-style squeezer, you’ll probably want to look into other juicing methods to save yourself time and effort. One great option is to use a blender. Just scoop out all the juicy arils with a spoon and blend them. You might end up with a few seed bits in the juice, so you’ll need to strain it afterward. However, this method is much more efficient and faster than using a dish-style squeezer.
