Pomegranate Syrup: Homemade Grenadine

Grenadine, from the French word for pomegranate, grenade, is a red syrup traditionally made from those grenade-shared fruit. Today, even quality brands contain no actual pomegranate, yielding their color and flavor from ingredients even more alien than the oddball pomegranate.

A key ingredient in Roy Rogers, Shirley Temples, and Tequila Sunrises, Grenadine's most common use is to lend its deep red color to drinks, but it also has a wonderfully strong dark cherry taste.

Grenadine has a syrupy consistency, but you can also reduce pomegranate juice down to a very thick syrup, called pomegranate molasses, and use it as an ingredient in Syria's muhammara, a garnish over dessert, or a syrup atop ice cream.

While I would generally suggest juicing fruit yourself, de-seeding pomegranate is hard enough, and you will need about eight pomegranates to yield enough juice for this recipe. Just buy the best juice you can find.

Pomegranate

Makes 1-2 cups, depending on desired thickness.

Ingredients:

1 medium-large lemon, juiced
4 cups fresh pomegranate juice
1/2 cup turbinado (raw) sugar

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the lemon and pomegranate juice. Bring to a boil. Add the sugar. Cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, about 90 seconds.

Reducing the liquid

Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces down to the desired consistency. It will appear thinner in the saucepan than it will be once it cools. For grenadine, reduce to 1.5 cups, about 45 minutes. For molasses—a very thick syrup—reduce to one cup, about 60 minutes. For a thin sauce, reduce to two cups, about 30 minutes.

Pomegranate molasses

Remove from heat and let cool in saucepan. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.