Making your own grenadine

[David Santucci]

You definitely want the European style vs the Middle Eastern style.

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So is the Middle Eastern style just stronger, or do they have a different flavor?

[slkinsey]

When I have made this I used the Monteux brand of OFW, though when that is gone (soon) I'll probably move to The Bitter Truth. You definitely want the European style vs the Middle Eastern style. Sorry for not specifying.

No, no, no! The Bitter Truth orange flower water is terrible! Stick with the Monteux brand. It is by far the best.

For those of you who don't have any, the bottle looks like this.

So is the Middle Eastern style just stronger, or do they have a different flavor?

The French style is stronger, IMO (1.5 ounces seems like a lot -- 2 drops is normally enough for a Ramos Fizz). And the flavors are also somewhat different.

[thirtyoneknots]

When I have made this I used the Monteux brand of OFW, though when that is gone (soon) I'll probably move to The Bitter Truth. You definitely want the European style vs the Middle Eastern style. Sorry for not specifying.

No, no, no! The Bitter Truth orange flower water is terrible! Stick with the Monteux brand. It is by far the best.

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Terrible? I'm not necessarily doubting you so much as asking for qualification on that. I have heard high praise for it elsewhere and it certainly works well enough for me, even has a convenient dasher bottle. Of course I may not really know what OFW is supposed to taste like enough to catch any nuances or whatever.

-Andy

Edit to add: 1.5 oz is going into 3 quarts of finished product, not much higher per volume than 3 drops on your drink.

Edited February 22, 2007 by thirtyoneknots (log)

[slkinsey]

I've tried the Bitter Truth OFW at Pegu, and the general consensus seemed to be that it tasted like soap. Or was it bath beads? Bathroom cleaner? I can't remember. Something having to do with the bathroom, I think. Anyway, "this tastes good" or "I'll start using this over Monteux" was never heard. I know that.

Besides, I'm not sure why you'd want to move away from Monteux, which is a great product that kind of defines the standard.

[thirtyoneknots]

Mainly because I have a mostly-full bottle of it :-P

Edit: "It" being The Bitter Truth OFW

Edited February 22, 2007 by thirtyoneknots (log)

[Kent Wang]

How about simply substituting pomegranate molasses (Cortas is the brand I'm using) for grenadine? The flavor is completely different, not nearly as sweet. If you really want more sweet, then why not just add a little simple syrup?

[slkinsey]

Exactly. The flavor is completely different. That's why pomegranate molasses is not a good substitute for grenadine.

[tim]

Hi,

We use Sadaf's Pomegranage paste. It is also excellent for salad dressings, pan sauces (duck breast or pork), citrus, fruit, ice cream sauce or for kicking up drinks.

Sadaf Pomegranate Paste

Tim

[eje]

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I think the concentrate is just intended to be thinned out and used as pomegranate juice for cooking and drinking.

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Must be a little different then as the molasses is quite tart and is a brownish colour. I've used it in salad dressings, and also have a chicken recipe that uses it.

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After a little googling, I think the Carlo Pomegranate "Concentrate" is the same as the stuff sometimes called "Pomegranate Paste" and is distinct from the Molasses. I'll pick up some Molasses today and test my theory.

[David Santucci]

You definitely want the European style vs the Middle Eastern style.

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So is the Middle Eastern style just stronger, or do they have a different flavor?

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Picked up a bottle of the Monteux. Actually, the aroma and strength of the Middle Eastern and French are pretty much the same. Both smell like they could be used to good effect in some sort of fancy bath soap. The difference is simply that the Middle Eastern stuff has a strong, long-lasting aftertaste that TASTES like soap. I found the Monteux at my local supermarket and it was cheap (< $3).

[Tiare]

Here is a link to Seamus blog Bunnyhugs and about how to make quality grenadine:

http://bunnyhugs.org/2008/03/18/making-quality-grenadine/

I said i was going to try and now after i`ve made recipe 3 and 4, and i think that 4 by far is the best. Its more messy and laboursome but its worth it as it gives a more brilliant Grendine flavor.

I also made a twist on recipe 4 by adding 1/4 cup Hibiscus flowers to soak for 6 hrs after the heating was done. (Thanks Chris!)

The Hibiscus flowers added a very deep red color to the Grenadine as well as a sweet and floral aroma and taste to the pommegranate flavors.

If i had known that this would yeld such a nice and fresh grenadine i would have doubled the recipe..

[sandersc]

After several attempts resulting in a purple kithen I've finally had good, easy results using a food mill with the small holes to extract the juice from the seeds. It gets it all without breaking the seeds. Strain the juice well and add enough sugar to get it to 216 deg. It is more tart than commercial brands, but you can always add a little simple syrup if you like your drink sweeter.

Edited April 6, 2008 by sandersc (log)

[KatieLoeb]

I make one batch of the cold method (16 oz. juice to 2.5 cups sugar) shaken the hell out of it, and one batch cooked (cook 16 oz. pomegranate juice down to half volume and add 2 cups sugar) then I combine them. I get the best of both worlds - fresh pomegranate flavor with the richer flavor and better viscosity of the cooked. A small amount of orange flower water and wee bit of vodka for shelf stability and it's done. Keeps well at room temperature and tastes worlds better than any other I've ever had.

Pom Wonderful is easiest to find and works fine, but I've been finding different brands of pomegrante juice at the Russian market that have also worked equally well.

Edited April 6, 2008 by KatieLoeb (log)

[Chris Hennes]

I make one batch of the cold method (16 oz. juice to 2.5 cups sugar) shaken the hell out of it, and one batch cooked (cook 16 oz. pomegranate juice down to half volume and add 2 cups sugar) then I combine them.  I get the best of both worlds - fresh pomegranate flavor with the richer flavor and better viscosity of the cooked.  A small amount of orange flower water and wee bit of vodka for shelf stability and it's done.  Keeps well at room temperature and tastes worlds better than any other I've ever had.

Pom Wonderful is easiest to find and works fine, but I've been finding different brands of pomegrante juice at the Russian market that have also worked equally well.

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Well, I guess it should be no surprise that you would come up with such a perfect method... I have always just made it (and by always, I mean, the one time I made it!) by heating the juice and sugar to boiling to kill any bad things, then cooling and storing. Better than Rose's, but I'll have to give your recipe a go next time. Have you ever tried using freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice?

[KatieLoeb]

Chris:

There are some things that are better left for the trained professionals. Pomegranate juicing is one of those. The brands from the Russian market taste pretty close to fresh pomegranate seeds I've tasted in the past. Even the POM Wonderful is fine. Seeding and juicing pomegranates is time consuming and incredibly messy. I'm over it. For the purposes of grenadine, which will undoubtedly be mixed with other strongly flavored ingredients it seems like a lot of effort for no detectable flavor differential.

This is the same reason I use a good commercial raspberry syrup. The Routin 1883 raspberry syrup is delicious, consistent, shelf stable and most importantly available year around. Some things are better left to the pros, others I feel I can improve upon I will most certainly attempt myself.

[Chris Hennes]

There are some things that are better left for the trained professionals.  Pomegranate juicing is one of those. 

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My wife cringes whenever I break out the pomegranates: they stain everything!

[GlorifiedRice]

Boy I feel totally stupid. I thought Grenadine was simply Maraschino Cherry Syrup!

[Tiare]

The only commercial grenadine i`ve seen here is Saturnus and Rose´s. I don`t think any of these are good..POM seems intersting though as well as Stirrings.

Edited April 7, 2008 by Tiare (log)

[KatieLoeb]

There are some things that are better left for the trained professionals.  Pomegranate juicing is one of those. 

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My wife cringes whenever I break out the pomegranates: they stain everything!

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Exactly my point. It's a mess, it takes extra hours for cleanup and the differential in flavor in negligable if even detectable. I'm over it.

Boy I feel totally stupid. I thought Grenadine was simply Maraschino Cherry Syrup!

Surprise! Grenadine is a pomegranate based syrup. Most folks wouldn't know that because you really can substitute maraschino cherry juice for the commercial versions. Or at least in a Shirley Temple. But good homemade grenadine makes even a Shirley Temple taste better.

[eje]

Just sort of FYI, I've been having second thoughts about the Knudsen Just Pomegranate lately.

It is so very tannic.

The fresh squeezed Pomegranate juice I get at the farmers' markets is so much fruitier, sweeter, and tastier than the Knudsen. I can hardly drink the Knudsen straight.

Makes me wonder if Knudsen is getting a lot of contamination from seeds and/or membranes in their juicing process.

Can't quite decide if the tannic flavor makes it a tastier or less tasty grenadine.

Edited April 7, 2008 by eje (log)

[KatieLoeb]

If I had access to fresh squeezed pomegranate juice (that someone else had squeezed for me) I'd most certainly use that. I haven't tried the Knudsen juice, but I think I'll stick with my finds at the ethnic markets from you're saying.

Erik - are there any Russian or Middle Eastern markets near you? You might have better luck there. HERE are photos of the big Russian supermarket in Northeast Philly where my head about exploded in the juice aisle. Look down the pictures for the pomegranate section and you'll see why.

[sandersc]

The tannin comes from the seeds, just like in wine(seeds ,stems, and skin). Plus the tannin from the seeds is most harsh. That is what is great about a food mill. It cleanly extracts all of the juice without crushing, or even breaking the seeds.

Cheers Y'all

[Chris Hennes]

OK, giving myself a break from shaking this bottle of POM and sugar... Katie, how much vodka is "a little"? Are we talking like a teaspoon, or a shot?

[KatieLoeb]

OK, giving myself a break from shaking this bottle of POM and sugar... Katie, how much vodka is "a little"? Are we talking like a teaspoon, or a shot?

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About 1.5 oz. vodka. And about two measured teaspoons of Orange Flower water (Cortas brand) in the whole batch which would now equal somewhere around 24-28 ounces once combined. Or to taste if you like it a little more floral.

[MattJohnson]

I actually made a POM reduction (non-sweetened) for an apple pomegranate tarte tatin I made. Had some extra so used it instead of lemon juice in a sidecar. Was actually pretty decent.

I'll have to sweeten the leftovers. I didn't know that was what grenadine was.