Pomegranate Juice (Anar Juice)
on Jan 03, 2022, Updated Nov 27, 2023
Homemade Fresh Pomegranate Juice (Anar Juice) is so much tastier and more economical than the packaged one that you will never buy it again once you make it home. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to peel pomegranates easily and how to make pomegranate juice.
You may want to try some more fresh homemade juice recipes: Watermelon Juice, Amla Juice, Pumpkin Juice, Pineapple Juice, and Passion Fruit Juice.
I am all for eating fruits rather than drinking them, but there are certain fruits I never get around to eating properly. Pomegranate is one of them. For some reason, I don’t particularly appreciate eating it; it feels too cumbersome. So juicing it is the second best option for me. So, if you are like me and somehow don’t get around eating enough pomegranates but still want its benefits, then this post is for you.
Sweet and tart in taste and vibrant deep red, homemade anar juice is much better, lighter, and tastier than the store-bought one. If you make it at home once, you will never buy a carton again.
Not only is homemade juice very delicious, but it is also free of preservatives, added sugar, artificial colors, and flavors. It is also much more economical to make at home.
This homemade pomegranate juice recipe can be made using a blender, food processor, citrus press, or electric juicer.
Note – You can add lime juice, lemon juice, or salt to the juice to enhance its taste.
How To Choose Pomegranates
When you buy fresh pomegranates, make sure they are hard and don’t have any soft patches. I used large pomegranates to make this juice recipe, but you can buy smaller ones as well.
I have heard many people saying that the best pomegranate fruits are the ones with shiny, bright skin, but in my personal experience, this has not been the same. When I buy pomegranates, I look out for slightly cracked skin and a few brown patches. The fruit should feel heavy for its size.
If possible, source them from a farmer’s market rather than a grocery store.
In India, ripe pomegranate fruit has light pink or dark ruby red kernels. Always try to choose the ruby red ones, which are sweeter and juicier.
These days, pomegranates are available all year round, but their best season is between October and December. So make the most of this time and make this pom juice regularly to get the maximum benefit of this fruit.
How To Peel Pomegranates
There are multiple ways to peel pomegranates and remove the kernels, but the method that I am sharing today is life-changing.
It’s super quick, no mess, and you get all the kernels out from the pomegranates very effectively.
Tip – Always wear old clothes or an apron while handling the pomegranates. Its stains don’t go very easily from the cloth. Also, try to use an old chopping board and steel or a glass bowl to collect the seeds. The stains won’t go away from plastic bowls.
Wash the pomegranates and wipe them using a kitchen cloth.
Now cut the pomegranate in half, horizontally, using a sharp knife.
Keep a large bowl on the kitchen counter and hold half the pomegranate over the bowl with the cut side down.
Now, start hitting the pomegranate with something heavy. I used my rolling pin, but you can also use a meat tenderizer. Keep rotating the pomegranate as you go.
The arils will start to fall in the bowl. Keep hitting until all the seeds are collected in the bowl. If a few seeds are still left, remove them using your fingers.
Discard any white membrane that has fallen into the bowl. The membrane (pith) gives the juice a bitter taste, so it must be discarded.
Deseed all the pomegranates in the same manner. Easy peasy, right?
You can deseed the arils, store them in a container, and refrigerate them for up to 2 weeks. Then, you can use them to make fresh juice every day.
How To Make Pomegranate Juice
In A Blender Or Food Processor
Transfer the pomegranate arils to the large jar of a high-speed blender or a food processor.
Tip: Make sure the seeds do not have a membrane attached; otherwise, the juice will become bitter in taste.
Pulse for 3-4 seconds until the arils are crushed but the hard seeds are intact.
Sieve the juice through a fine mesh strainer. Keep pressing with a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon to get the maximum juice, and discard the leftover pulp.
Pour the fresh homemade juice into serving glasses. Add a few ice cubes (optional) and serve chilled.
Tip – This juice tastes best when made fresh, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Stir well before serving.
Using A Citrus Press
This is probably the easiest way to make anar juice, as there is no need to de-seed the pomegranates. Just wash them and cut them in half horizontally.
Now, keep one-half over the citrus press and press to release all the juice.
You will be left with the skin of the pomegranates with the seeds. Discard it and enjoy the juice!
In A Slow Juicer
Add the pomegranate seeds to a juicer and process the juice. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
If the pomegranates lie on the counter for too long, their skin loses moisture and looks dried and shriveled. In that case, soak the fruit in cold water for 25-30 minutes, then peel and deseed.
Pro Tips By Neha
Do not wash the seeds. If they come in contact with water, they will spoil very soon.
To make a new variation, you can mix pure pomegranate juice with apple juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, grape juice, cranberry juice, orange juice, etc.
You can add veggies like beetroot, tomato, etc., to make it even more nutritious.
Sometimes anar juice is very heavy to drink. In that case, mix it with some water, club soda, or seltzer.
You can add some lime juice, pink salt, or black salt to it for a delicious taste.
I like to add some juice to green tea and make myself a nice mocktail.
I like to use this delicious juice as a base for my salad dressing. It gives a lovely sweet-tart flavor to it.
Usage Ideas
You can drink this healthy drink as it is or use it to make Pomegranate Molasses, a popular Middle Eastern ingredient used in many recipes, such as Baba Ganoush or Pomegranate Chicken.
You can also make smoothies, spritzers, cocktails, popsicles, granitas, salad dressings, etc.
I love to add some of it to my Shikanji recipe to give it a lovely twist.
And do not forget to try my refreshing Pomegranate Raita, using fresh pomegranate juice.
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Pomegranate Juice Recipe (Anar Juice)
Ingredients
- 6 large pomegranates
Instructions
Peel The Pomegranates
- Wash the pomegranates and wipe them using a kitchen cloth.
- Now cut the pomegranate in half using a sharp knife.
- Keep a large bowl on the kitchen counter and hold one-half of the pomegranate over the bowl with the cut side down.
- Now start to hit the pomegranate using something heavy. I used my rolling pin but you can also use a meat tenderizer. Keep rotating the pomegranate as you go.
- The arils will start to fall in the bowl. Keep hitting until all the seeds are collected in the bowl. If a few seeds are still left, then take them out using fingers.
- Discard any white pith that has fallen into the bowl.
- Deseed all the pomegranates in the same manner. Easy peasy, right?
- You can deseed the arils and store them in a container and refrigerate them for up to 2 weeks. Use them to make fresh juice every day.
Make The Juice In A Blender or Food Processor
- Transfer the pomegranate arils to the large jar of a high-speed blender.
- Make sure there is no membrane attached to the seeds, otherwise the juice will become bitter in taste.
- Pulse for 3-4 seconds until the arils are crushed but the hard seeds are intact.
- Sieve the juice through a fine-mesh strainer. Keep pressing with a silicone spatula to get the maximum juice and discard the leftover pulp.
- Pour the juice into serving glasses. Add a few ice cubes (optional) and serve chilled.
- This juice tastes best when made fresh but if you have leftovers, then store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Stir well before serving.
Make The Juice Using A Citrus Press
- This is probably the easiest way to make pomegranate juice as there is no need to de-seed them. Just wash the pomegranates and cut them in half horizontally.
- Now keep one half over the citrus press and press to release all the juice.
- You will be left with the skin of the pomegranates with the seeds. Discard it and enjoy the juice!
Make The Juice In A Juicer
- Add the pomegranate seeds to a juicer and process the juice. Enjoy!
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