Pomegranates have amazing health benefits. They can be somewhat intimidating when it comes to removing the juice and seeds, but it is surprisingly easy to do with the right tools and tricks! I was lucky to come across some beautiful pomegranates at the store the other day, and I bought a bunch to make fresh juice. I was a bit surprised by its tart taste, since I’m used to the processed version you get at the grocery stores. Here’s how I made it:

I used about 7 or 8 pomegranates for the juice. I sliced them in half (like I would if I was juicing an orange or lemon) and used my citrus juicer. I then strained the juice through a fine mesh strainer…and voila! Delicious, fresh pomegranate juice! Took make it more palatable, I added the juice of 2 lemons and diluted it with water. Finally, I added drops of dark liquid stevia until I found it to be the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Here’s a picture of the pomegranate juice before I kicked it up to a lemonade. It looks like a liquefied ruby! Absolutely gorgeous juice! Food this beautiful makes me so HAPPY!

Wondering what the benefits of eating pomegranates are? The list below outlines a few of them:

• Promotes longevity
• Promotes fertility
• A great source of antioxidants
• Protects against heart disease
• Protects against cancer
• Inhibits tumor formation
• Helps lower blood pressure
• Helps lower cholesterol

So, how do you get those seeds out without making your kitchen look like a crime scene? It’s simple! Follow these steps and you will be enjoying pomegranate seeds in no time:

1. Cut the pomegranate into 4 quarters.
2. Submerge in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes
3. With the fruit still in the water, peel away the flesh and the seeds will sink to the bottom.
4. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to easily remove the seeds from the water.
5. Use in any way you desire! (I recommend eating them alone as a snack, putting them on salads, or as a yogurt topping.)

I hope you are now inspired to eat more pomegranates! Please share your recipes in the comments!

Want more information? Watch this video from Christa Orecchio at The Whole Journey: