[Sca-cooks] Grenade syrup or molasses

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Ana Valdes wrote:
> I got some nice grenades (it's season here in Uruguay now ), and I want to make 
> some Iranian dish with grenades. But I don't understand the difference between 
> grenade syrup or molasses and I wonder if someone of you have any ideas or 
> recipes where I can use the grenades. I checked at the Florilegium of course :)
>
> But I didn't find any step to step recipe on how to make the syrup or the 
> molasses.

There's a major difference between pomegranate syrup and pomegranate molasses.

Pomegranate syrup is made with pomegranate juice and sugar which are cooked just enough to reach a syrupy stage. This can vary depending on how much sugar is used.

So-called pomegranate molasses is pure pomegranate juice which is simmered for a long time until it becomes very thick. I would assume this is done on a rather low fire so there's no burning or scorching, and involves a lot of stirring for the same reasons. There is generally NO sugar involved. It is rather tart. (And it is not really a type of molasses, at least not as i consider molasses to be, which is why i say "so-called").

I've made pomegranate syrup from scratch using purchased pure organic pomegranate juice and cane sugar in equal weights, as in the recipe in the 13th c. anonymous Andalusian cookbook. I put the sugar in a saucepan, stir the juice into the sugar, and when they are mixed as well as can be, i put the pan on a high fire, bring the liquid to a boil, and reduce the fire so that it simmers strongly. Take about 15 minutes at a high simmer to get syrup of the consistency i prefer. Remember to stir occasionally - more stirring as it gets thicker - so it doesn't burn in the bottom of the pan.

I have never tried to make so-called pomegranate "molasses". I have purchased different brands and found them to vary significantly in color, flavor, and consistency, but i don't remember what brand i liked best.

Most Middle Eastern recipes call for the pomegranate "molasses".

If you have Armenians near you, they should known where to get pomegranate  "molasses".

Someone sometimes called Urtatim