Over the course on my journey to create the best cocktails humanity has to offer, I quickly realised that I was going to have to make my own grenadine syrup. Over there, in the real world, it’s possible to find decent quality stuff if you shop around. Here in the foothills of the himalayas, however, the best I can find is low grade tat that’s basically sugar syrup with some red thrown in. Therefore, to get my house in order, I’ve had to venture down the rabbit hole of Homemade Grenadine Syrup and navigate the pitfalls of making it for myself.
Make Your Own Grenadine Syrup
Equipment
- 1 Piece Cheese Cloth
- 1 Fine Mesh Sieve
- 1 Small Thick-Bottomed Saucepan
- 1 Glass Jug
Ingredients
- 600g (1⅓ pints) Fresh Pomegranate Juice
- 190g (7oz) White Granulated Sugar
- 15g (1 tbsp) Lemon Juice
- 2g (½tsp) Orange Blossom Water
Instructions
- First up, extract the juice from the Pomegranates by whatever means you have available. I don't have a fancy contraption for this, so run them through a regular juicer, then squeeze the remaining pulp through a piece of cloth before giving everything a quick run through a fine mesh sieve
- Place 300g of the resulting Pomegranate Juice in a small, thick-bottomed saucepan, along with 40g of White Sugar and 15g of Lemon Juice. Then simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Keep a close eye on it for the final 10 minutes, because syrups can go nuclear very fast
- Once the sauce has become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add the remaining 300g of Pomegranate Juice and 150g of White Sugar and stir continually until the Sugar has dissolved, ensuring that the liquid doesn't boil
- Once dissolved, turn off the heat, add 2g of Orange Blossom Water and give the whole thing a good stir
- Transfer your syrup to a suitable storage container or glass jug and leave to cool
- Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of some Homemade Grenadine Syrup
- Store in a fridge and use within 1 Month
Nutrition
The Finer Points of Homemade Grenadine Syrup
Goddam Pomegranate Molasses
I must have trawled through dozens of grenadine recipes when on a mission to develop one of my very own, and a common ingredient in most of them came in the shape of pomegranate molasses. For those who don’t know, pomegranate molasses is essentially just concentrated pomegranate syrup, so adding to grenadine is basically like one of those soup recipes that require a can of soup. As a result of this perplexing state of affairs, I have put together a complete recipe that includes a molasses stage prior to upgrading it to full-blown grenadine. You can treat this as a bonus recipe and use it to dd a little extra punch and colour to some of your favourite food things.
The Application of Grenadine in Cocktails
Now that you have yourself a jar of the red stuff that actually tastes like grenadine, you can start mixing up a bunch of tasty cocktails. One of the most common you will find comes in the shape of the fruity Tequila Sunrise. While, a few delicious alternatives include the Mexican Firing Squad, Jack Rose, and Rum Punch, all of which, I will add to my repertoire now that I have a big old jar of homemade grenadine syrup. In addition, those who like to shy away from the booze but still like their drinks to look fancy, can use it to mix up a Shirley Temple.
Extending the Shelf-Life of your Homemade Grenadine Syrup
Should the prospect of using up all the homemade Grenadine within a Month prove too daunting, you can extend its shelf life with the addition of a little vodka. Once complete, add around 30ml (2 tablespoons) of everyone’s favourite potato spirit and it will stay good for an additional Month. Furthermore, you can sterilize your storage vessel, either by immersing in boiling water or popping it in the oven, in order to remove any impurities. Just make sure the container can withstand high temperatures before going down this route!
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