homemade grenadine – so easy to make!

When I was younger, a treat for me and my siblings was when our parents would take us out to dinner.  Unlike today, that didn’t happen regularly when I was growing up.  But when it did, it was a special event as I knew I would get treated to a Shirley Temple drink. It was the bee’s knees and I felt so grown-up!  It was pink and always came dressed with a cherry on top.  I always ate that last.  The ingredient to making it so pretty was grenadine.

Grenadine is from the French word grenade which means pomegranate.  Before you run out to the store to pick up a bottle, read the label.  It’s most likely maraschino cherry juice, not grenadine. And most so-called grenadine sold in stores consists of nothing more than corn syrup, red food dye, and citric acid.  In this day and age when artificial sweeteners and food dyes are a no-no, you can make your own and control what goes in it.  This recipe is so simple you’ll wonder why you hadn’t made it before!  Earlier this week I was watching a live video of Molly Wellman making a drink where she used grenadine.  She makes her own.  So, thank you, Molly, for that tip!

pomegranate juice
sugar

To make the syrup, take equal amounts of juice and sugar and place it in a pot.  Over medium heat, stir until sugar is dissolved. Then bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 5 minutes.  Cool completely before storing in a jar.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  This will keep in the fridge for up to one month.  Enjoy!