Grenadine

For one cup of grenadine, bring 3 cups of pomegranate juice (see above) to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer uncovered until reduced to one cup, about an hour, stirring and skimming the froth now and then.  Cool and store in the refrigerator.   

The store-bought grenadine of my childhood Shirley Temple days is mostly sugar and red dye.  This recipe produces slightly sweet pomegranate juice concentrate that isn’t cloying.  For Shirley Temples, fill a glass with ginger ale, add a splash of grenadine, a twist of orange or lemon, and don’t forget the cherry!  For a boy’s Rob Roy, fill a glass with cola, add a splash of grenadine, add a twist of lemon and a cherry.  So sophisticated!