The pomegranate may just be the perfect holiday fruit. Look — it’s even shaped like a Christmas tree ornament! And now that I know I can easily make homemade grenadine from it (therefore healthier Shirley Temple cocktails), it’s certainly a front runner for my favourite winter fruit.
Shirley Temples make me happy. When I sip the combination of sweet grenadine, orange juice, and ginger ale through a bendy straw I feel like I’m a kid again; I’m transported back to my childhood living room, watching the final episode of M*A*S*H or Cheers, or invested in an afternoon-long Rummoli tournament with my mom and brother. With a single sip of a Shirley Temple I feel like a giddy little kid again, relaxed at home, my mom treating me to a special cocktail to mark a special occasion. I just love the idea of creating those same sweet vibes for my girls — especially during the holiday season.
Leading up to Christmas, I pretty much take over TV time in our house — Mommy needs her classic holiday film fix. The opening titles of White Christmas, Meet Me in St. Louis, Miracle on 34th Street, and It’s a Wonderful Life (my personal fave) become the cue for everyone to curl up on the couch, dig into some popcorn and wash it all down with some memory-making Shirley Temples.
Yesterday I was prepping for a Frosty The Snowman parts 1 and 2 marathon and actually read the label of my grenadine bottle: high fructose corn syrup, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, red colour #40, blue colour #1… Sure, I get it, it’s bright red sugar syrup. I didn’t actually think it was good for you, but I was so disheartened to see the list of chemicals staring me in the face as I poured it into my kids’ cups. ‘I can do better’, I thought. So I did…
Homemade Grenadine Made from Pomegranates:
Step 1: Seed your pomegranates
You will need:
- 2 whole pomegranates
- a sharp knife
- a large bowl, half full of lukewarm water
- a fine mesh strainer
- a cutting board, preferably plastic
- loads of paper towel nearby — this process can quickly turn into a counter top-staining crime scene.
Cut your pomegranates into quarters. One pomegranate at a time, add the quarters to the bowl of water.
Use your fingers and thumbs to gently pry the pomegranate seeds from the grip of the pulp. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the pulp will float to the top. Skim the pulp from the top, strain all and pick out any large leftover pieces. Note: since we’re pulverizing these seeds in the blender, I wouldn’t fret too much about leftover pulp.
Step 2: Juice It Up!
Two pomegranate fruits will give you about 2 cups of pomegranate seeds. Pour the seeds into a blender and pulse on high for about 30 seconds.
Strain the pulverized pomegranate seeds through a fine mesh sieve, pressing the juice from the pulp, into a bowl or large measuring cup.
Congrats! You just made 1 cup of deliciously sweet & tart pomegranate juice.
Step 3: Make Homemade Grenadine (while making your place smell like Santa HQ)
You will need:
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
- squeeze of lemon
- a medium-sized saucepan
Add all ingredients to a saucepan on high heat; bring to a boil. Stir until sugar has fully dissolved.
Once sugar has fully dissolved, turn heat down to medium-low and let the mixture simmer for the next 40 minutes. *Here come those awesome holiday smells.* Stir occasionally, making sure no top foam is sticking to the sides.
Remove from heat once the liquid has reduced to a sticky syrup, after about 40 minutes. You want to ensure that the syrup is still runny but will coat a dipped spoon.
Allow the grenadine to cool to room temperature before using or jarring. Your homemade grenadine can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week. This decadent syrup tastes amazing on ice cream and on yogurt, it even rocked my breakfast this morning poured over steel cut oats with some chopped walnuts and raisins.
Step 4: Bring on the Childhood Memories
The pre-stir look.
- 1/2 ounce grenadine
- 3 ounces orange juice
- 6 ounces ginger ale
- ice
- maraschino cherries and lemon wedges (optional)
- Add ice to cocktail glass. Pour in orange juice and ginger ale, add grenadine over it. Stir.
- Garnish with cherries and lemon wedge. Serve with a smile.
- There are conflicting stories about how this drink was tagged with the name of the famous 1930s child star. What I find fascinating is that the actress herself said she actually never liked the drink, and opposes the concept of cocktails (even non-alcoholic) for children. She has fought several attempts to use her name in unauthorized bottled sodas, saying "All a celebrity has is their name."
Now, press play on that holiday film, sit back and let the kids (and their pending sugar rush) do the rest. Happy memories made.
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You should also check out this way to de-seed a pomegranate. I could never get the water technique to work that well but this, this has me snacking on pomegranates again!
http://lifehacker.com/5895852/deseed-a-pomegranate-in-10-seconds-using-a-wooden-spoon
Reagan that is so good! I used to sit carefully picking the seeds out one at a time as a lunch-time procrastination snack. BUT NO MORE!
(it also reminded me of this. It freaked my housemate out a lot. http://machall.com/view.php?date=2005-06-13)
Another really useful tip when making syrups (of any kind!). Keep on hand a pastry brush in a glass of water – brush down the sides of your pan every so often with just a little water to stop crystals forming, and keeping a clear, smooth syrup.