Can you Freeze Pomegranate Seeds? How to Do This the Right Way
Updated on March 2, 2023
Pomegranates are delicious and healthy, but they can be a bit expensive. If you have more of these fruits and you want to use the seeds later on, you can definitely do that by putting them in the freezer.
Whether or not freezing them will go over well in the long run or not, we’re going to find out.
Can You Freeze Pomegranate Seeds?
We’re not the only ones who feel like pomegranate seeds should be kept indefinitely given how tasty they are and how versatile they are. Here’s the message we received from one of our readers:
I bought a pomegranate because I needed to use some of the seeds for a salad recipe I was making. I now have almost a full pomegranate left that I don’t know what to do with. I don’t want to throw them out, but I won’t need the rest of the seeds until I make the recipe again. Can you freeze pomegranate seeds?
Yes, you can freeze pomegranate seeds! Pomegranate seeds freeze quite well, and are easy to thaw and use in recipes.
How to Cut a Pomegranate?
Before you consider freezing the pomegranate seeds, however, the hardest part is removing the seeds from the fruit! There are many ways of removing the seeds, but one of the simplest and cleanest is to use water to help the process.
- Cut the pomegranate into sections.
- Place a section at a time in a bowl of water, and then separate the juice sacs containing the seeds (or arils) into the water.
- Separate the seeds, then remove the solids.
- Strain the water from the bowl, leaving just the seeds behind.
- The soft white flesh of the pomegranate (or the pith), is bitter and most people simply discard it rather than eat it.
How to Freeze Pomegranate Seeds?
Now that you finally have the pomegranate seeds out, it’s time to prepare them for freezing.
- Lay the pomegranate seeds on a layer of paper towels and cover with another layer.
- Allow the excess water to dry before freezing the seeds.
- To freeze pomegranate seeds, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer until seeds have frozen, about 20 minutes.
- This helps reduce clumping when the seeds are placed in a freezer bag.
- Place frozen seeds in a freezer bag, and remove the excess air, smoothing the bag flat for easier storage.
- Seal the bag, then label and date it.
- Place the bag in the freezer.
How to Keep Pomegranate Seeds Better?
If you want to make sure that your pomegranate seeds are kept in the best conditions, you can consider using a vacuum sealer. These appliances are super useful as they will take out all the air in the freezer bags or containers, thus making sure whatever you’re freezing won’t be affected by any leftover oxigen.
Our personal favorite is the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine, which works with both freezer bags and containers, offering you lots of options to save your food for longer.
How Long Can You Freeze Pomegranate Seeds?
Frozen pomegranate seeds should be used within 6 months of freezing for best results.
How to Defrost Pomegranate Seeds?
When it’s time to use the pomegranate seeds, you have to follow a few steps.
- First, remove the bag from the freezer. Seeds can be used directly from frozen in recipes, or they can be thawed first.
- To thaw frozen pomegranate seeds, place the freezer bag in the refrigerator until seeds are thawed completely.
- Thawed pomegranate seeds will be slightly less crisp and juicy than fresh ones, but the flavor and quality should not be affected by the freezing process.
- Thawed pomegranate seeds should be used within 3 days of thawing for best results.
- Never refreeze seeds that have been previously frozen, the seeds do not stand up well to multiple freezing.
Pomegranate Recipes
Now that you have so many pomegranate seeds on your hands, it’s time to look into a few pomegranate recipes so you can use them all. Unless you’re going to eat them on their own, you may want to look into a few alternatives.
Here are a few pomegranate recipes to try out: