Years ago I bought a bottle of pomegranate molasses and used it from time to time with no real understanding of where it really belonged in my cooking, then I bought an Ottolenghi cook book. I was hooked. The remaining pomegranate molasses was used up quickly and then I couldn’t find anywhere immediately accessible to buy more.

While on a random Google rabbit hole I came across a pomegranate molasses recipe and the ingredients were easily available.

This was the solution to my problem.

This is the ideal sized bottle

This is the ideal sized bottle

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

Ingredients

Pomegranate juice

The starting point – one bottle

  • 4 cups pure pomegranate juice (1 bottle – no sugar added)
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons/limes)

Method

  1. Pour pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice into a wide saucepan.
  2. Heat all ingredients over medium heat until the sauce begins to simmer and then reduce heat to maintain a really light simmer.
  3. Allow the liquid to simmer very lightly for 60-80 minutes, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula, till the liquid reduces to about 1/4. Note where the liquid comes to on the spatula and estimate the quarter way mark. Should get a bit more than 1 cup of molasses.
  4. It is ready when it has a light syrupy consistency and you can run a line down the back of the spatula with your finger and it stays separated. Too long and it will turn to a toffee.
  5. Remove from heat and it will continue to thicken as it cools.
  6. Bottle in a sterile jar, preferably not in contact with a metal lid, and store in the refrigerator.