Easy 2-ingredient Grenadine Syrup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a homemade substitute for grenadine? ›

Another great grenadine substitute? Pomegranate juice and simple syrup. Mix together 2 parts simple syrup and 1 part pomegranate juice. It makes a sweet, bright red syrup that's very similar to the real thing.

Contrary to popular belief, grenadine is not a cherry-flavored syrup. Maraschino cherries have nothing to do with it. This sweet-tart syrup is actually made from pomegranates, and it is surprisingly easy to make at home.

Rose's, by far the most common brand in the United States, is made using mostly high-fructose corn syrup, water, citric acid, and natural and artificial flavors. It's colored using Red 40 (made with petroleum distillates or coal tars) and Blue 1.

Pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice are the three main ingredients of homemade grenadine syrup, creating the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Store-bought grenadine on the other hand is usually made with little more than high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, and red food coloring.

As long as it's in an airtight container, the grenadine should last for up to four weeks in the refrigerator.

Classic Grenadine is pomegranate syrup. If you find that you are allergic or don't prefer the flavor of pomegranates I would recommend finding unsweetened cranberry juice in a health food store. Be sure that it is unsweetened and not from concentrate.

Grenadine

Its vibrant red color also makes it an excellent addition to visually stunning drinks. Unlike triple sec, grenadine is non-alcoholic, which means that it's perfect for those who prefer not to include alcohol in their co*cktails.

If you don't have triple sec handy, you can substitute with another good-quality orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau. For a non-alcoholic substitute you can add fresh orange juice, or agave nectar/simple syrup, to add a touch of sweetness.

The Shirley Temple is probably the most famous mocktail ever. This classic mix of ginger ale and grenadine with a squeeze of lemon or lime topped with maraschino cherries is believed to be the world's first mocktail. And it's still alive and well today.

In their modern form, the cherries are first preserved in a brine solution usually containing sulfur dioxide and calcium chloride to bleach the fruit, then soaked in a suspension of food coloring (common red food dye is FD&C Red 40), sugar syrup, and other components.

Is maraschino syrup like grenadine? ›

The Fun Never Ends When You've Got Maraschino Cherries

It's most often sugar syrup, so if you like a bold sweetness, this is the ideal choice. Note that this syrup might have a thicker consistency than regular grenadine, so you might need to add a pinch of water to thin it out.

We've gone back to the original grenadine recipe (pomegranate and lime juice) and swapped out refined sugars with maple syrup to create a truly delicious, all-natural grenadine. No Red 40, no Blue 1, no High Fructose Corn Syrup – just delicious mixers with ingredients that you can feel good about.

Unopened grenadine syrup typically has a long shelf life. If stored properly in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, it can last for several years beyond the "best by" date on the bottle. The high sugar content in grenadine serves as a natural preservative, helping to extend its shelf life.

Red dye 40 is a synthetic food dye made from petroleum. Research has shown that it is linked to certain ADHD symptoms, such as hyperactivity, and may also cause other neurobehavioral effects in children. People can check for red dye 40 on food labels if they wish to limit their intake.

Grenadine is a syrup used in co*cktails, non-alcoholic drinks, and somewhat rarely in cooking. Made from pomegranate juice that gets cooked down with sugar, grenadine has a delicious balance of mouth-puckering tartness and sweetness that adds surprising depth to co*cktails.

Nowadays grenadine is made up of a mix of red berry fruits such as raspberry, red currant, elderberry, black currant and strawberry, with a hint of vanilla. And unfortunately plenty of sugar. To prepare grenadine, dilute it 1 part to 7 or 8 parts water, don't make the mistake of trying to drink it neat!

Grenadine was traditionally made from pomegranate but is more often encountered as a commercial imitation with few to no actual fruit components.

Modern Grenadine

Rose's grenadine, the most popular brand, is made from "High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Red 40, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Blue 1." Yum!