A Recipe for Pomegranate Molasses

This 3 ingredient recipe for pomegranate molasses is versatile, healthy, simple, and adds a bright, tangy flavor to any recipe. Why run to different specialty grocery stores for pomegranate molasses when you could easily make it yourself?

Have you ever had pomegranate molasses? Sometimes it’s called pomegranate syrup, and it’s a slightly thickened sauce that you can use to flavor nearly any dish. Meats, salads, and desserts are all elevated and made so much more flavorful with this versatile ingredient!

If you love the flavor of pomegranates like I do, this recipe is something you need in your life and cooking. It’s long shelf life makes it easy to keep on hand, and I like to use it very similarly to balsamic vinegar reductions with meats, salad dressings, or drizzled over roasted vegetables.

It’s also a great flavor for desserts, like in this pomegranate swirl cheesecake or drizzled over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The intensity and tartness of the pomegranate flavor complements and balances sweets so perfectly.

What is Pomegranate Molasses?

Pomegranate molasses originated in Middle Eastern cuisines. It’s versatile flavor make it pair well with both sweet and savory dishes, making it a useful ingredient to have on hand.

Whether it’s called pomegranate molasses or syrup, it is simply pomegranate juice that has been cooked down into a thick, syrupy consistency. Usually lemon juice is added to help preserve freshness, and some sugar to help create the unique molasses consistency.

Ingredients

The ingredients for a pomegranate molasses recipe couldn’t be simpler! You just need:

• Pomegranate juice — You can buy a bottle of pomegranate juice, or purchase fresh pomegranates and juice them yourself. I’ll teach you how to do that below. I used bottled juice for the pomegranate molasses you see, but fresh juice will yield a brighter finished product.
• Lemon juice — This is best fresh squeezed, but you can use bottled in a pinch. Lemon juice is a preservative that extends the life of the pomegranate molasses.
• Sugar — This is optional, as the pomegranate juice will reduce to the proper consistency without added sugar. However, sugar helps it achieve the correct thickness sooner, leaving you with more molasses. It can also help mellow the pomegranate flavor, which can be very tart when concentrated.

How to Juice Fresh Pomegranates

1 pomegranate yields about 1/2 cup of juice, so you will need about 8 pomegranates for this recipe. Besides the pomegranates, you’ll need a high-powered blender or food processor, a mesh sieve, and a bowl.

Deseeding the Pomegranate

Before juicing the pomegranate, you’ll have to remove all of the seeds. While that can be time consuming, it can also be done in a matter of minutes. This video is a quick, easy way to seed pomegranates.

After seeding the pomegranates, place the arils in the jar of the blender or food processor. Process them until they are liquid.

Place the sieve over the bowl and pour the juice through it. The sieve will catch any hard bits of seed that aren’t smooth. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to press as much juice out as possible. It’s not ready to use like a bottle of juice.

How to Make Pomegranate Molasses

• In a small pan, combine the pomegranate and lemon juices and the sugar.
• Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve.

• Allow the mixture to come to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat.
• Continue to simmer the juice until it is thick and drips slowly off the end of a spoon. It should coat the back of a spoon, and will have reduced from four cups of juice to about 1 to 1 1/2 cups.
• You can just pour the pomegranate syrup into a liquid measuring cup to check how much it has reduced. Don’t be concerned if it doesn’t seem thick enough when it’s reduced–it will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Cooking down the pomegranate molasses can take 30 minutes to an hour. It will vary based on the temperature you cook at, and the surface area of your pan.

• Remove the pomegranate molasses from the heat and allow it to cool. Place it in an airtight bottle or jar and refrigerate.

How to Store Homemade Pomegranate Molasses

Homemade pomegranate molasses should always be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight jar or container. It will keep for up to 6 weeks.

How to Store Homemade Pomegranate Molasses

If the molasses crystalizes in the refrigerator, place the jug in a pan of water. Simmer it until the sugar dissolves and the pomegranate molasses is liquid again.

When the pomegranate syrup is warm, it should be the consistency of real maple syrup. Once it’s cooled, it’ll have the thickness of pancake syrup–think Aunt Jemima’s or Log Cabin syrup.

Recipes that use Pomegranate Molasses

• Pomegranate Swirl Cheesecake
• Drizzle it over vanilla ice cream

Other Recipes You May Enjoy:

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