When I think of grenadine, I get an image of that neon red, overly sweet, syrupy bottled stuff they used in the Shirley Temples I got as a kid. I can honestly say that, up until recently, I had never once associated it with the flavor of pomegranate, which is how grenadine is supposed to be flavored. That’s right folks! Grenadine is supposed to taste like pomegranate! Who knew?!!
For those of you who like to make cocktails at home or who want to give your kids an extra special “Shirley Temple” treat, make this incredibly easy grenadine syrup and never go back to the store bought artificial stuff again. It will take your drinks to the next level – I promise!
Grenadine Recipe
This recipe was very slightly adapted from an article on Chow.com
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of 100% Pomegranate juice (I used the POM Wonderful brand, but make sure you don’t accidentally get a flavored version…)
- 1 cup of sugar
- ½ teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3-4 drops of orange-flower water (You can purchase this through Amazon or at a nearby BevMo. If you have to leave this ingredient out, it won’t be the end of the world though…)
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the pomegranate juice and sugar together over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. (You don’t want to scorch the sugar.) Let the liquid come to a slight simmer and remove from heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice and orange flower water. Let cool and transfer to a container or jar with a tight lid.
This will keep in your refrigerator for at least a month. (Honestly, I had a bottle in there for three months and didn’t notice a difference in flavor. As always, use your best judgment…)
You can easily cut the recipe in half for smaller batches or double or triple it if you anticipate a large gathering.
