Lollie is just a little bit crazy for Shirley Temples, but I am not too crazy about grocery store grenadine, which is little more than pretty, red, sugar water flavored with something that may or may not have once been a pomegranate.
After much trial and error, Lollie and I have come up with a homemade grenadine of which we both approve. It may seem like a lot of sugar, but Rose’s grenadine is little more than high fructose corn syrup. We took advantage of the microwave because preparing the syrup on the stove top cooked out too many flavors of the pomegranate juice. In the end, we did choose to use 4 drops of red food coloring; we did this because Lollie wanted a more vibrant color when the grenadine was diluted in her ginger ale.
For lots of great info on pomegranate juice, including recipes, check out POM Wonderful’s website.
Lollie’s Homemade Grenadine
3 cups sugar
12 oz. pomegranate juice, divided
1/4 tsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
pinch salt
red food coloring (optional)
Add sugar and 8 oz. of pomegranate juice to a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 2 minute. Stir well. Continue to heat and stir and 45 second intervals until all sugar is dissolved. The mixture will be quite hot. With my microwave, the grenadine takes a total of 4 minutes, 15 seconds.
Add remaining 4 oz. pomegranate juice, lemon juice, salt and if using the food coloring. Stir well and carefully transfer grenadine to a storage jar or bottle. Let grenadine cool to room temperature. Skim away and discard any foam. Grenadine should keep for at least a month in the fridge.
Shirley Temple
ice
8 oz. ginger ale
generous splash of grenadine, about 1 -2 tsp.
orange slices and maraschino cherries
straws and drink umbrellas
Fill a glass 3/4’s full with ice. Add ginger ale and grenadine. Stir or shake. Garnish with an orange slice, a cherry and a straw. Drink umbrellas optional, but always appreciated.
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