Rinse the pomegranates under running water.

Cut off ¼ inch of the bottom of the pomegranate to stabilize it. (check video or step by step photos in the post)

Remove the top of the pomegranate by cutting a shallow, angled circle around the crown. Wiggle it loose and discard.

Make shallow cuts on the sides, from the top of the fruit to the bottom, to divide the pomegranate into four segments.

Pry open the segments to separate them.

Method 1 - Nudge out the arils with your fingers, discarding any pale membrane. Have a bowl ready to hold the loosened arils while you work on each segment.

Method 2 - Alternately you may place the segments in a large bowl of dechlorinated water to help with removing the seeds; when disassembling the pomegranate segments under water, the arils sink to the bottom and the membranes float to the top. If there’s too much membrane, just skim the water and discard it before continuing.

Add the seeds to a blender jar along with salt. Squeeze the lemon juice (optional) into the blender.

Pulse a few times, briefly for 10 to 15 seconds, you want to make sure the seeds are still mostly intact but the juice around the seeds is released. Crushing the seeds will make the juice gritty. [But the seeds have medicinal values so we always crush them and pass through a very fine strainer. so it is up to you]

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and transfer the juice. It is important to use a fine strainer or a thin cheese cloth if you do not want the juice to be gritty.

Press the pulp against the strainer with the back of a spoon to squeeze out every bit of fresh juice.

Drink your pomegranate juice immediately as is, store in the refrigerator for later culinary uses, or dilute with seltzer water to stretch the juice further. If it is too strong for your taste, you may mix it with other fruit juices or plain water.