Pomegranate molasses is a thick sauce made of pomegranate juice. It is of reddish brown colour and mostly used in sauces and salads dressings or for marinating meat and fish. If you like to eat pomegranate or to use fruits in your savoury dishes, you should try this fruity thick syrup.
What does pomegranate molasses taste like?
It doesn’t taste like other molasses, rather like a sweet-sour syrup. Although it can be prepared with or without sugar, it is never very sweet. Pomegranate molasses has very rich, intense and syrupy taste, even a bit sharp.
How many calories does it have?
One tablespoon of pomegranate molasses has about 40 calories. It doesn’t have fat and actually it has a very low level of sugar. It is rich in iron, calcium and some polyphenolic antioxidants.
Nutrition Facts
For a Serving Size of 1 Tbsp (20g)
- Calories 40
- Calories from Fat 0 (0%)
- % Daily Value
- Total Fat 0g
- Sodium 0mg
- Carbohydrates 9g
- Net carbs 9g
- Sugar 7g
- Fiber 0g
- Protein 0g
- Vitamins and minerals
- Vitamin A 0%
- Vitamin C 0%
- Calcium 2%
- Iron 4%
Where to buy?
First of all, you can make your own, homemade pomegranate molasses. If you don’t want to make it, you can order it online on Amazon or other similar websites or buy at the nearest Whole Foods store.
Pomegranate molasses substitutes
If you don’t have pomegranate at home or you simply don’t want to spend money on it or you already have a lot of similar condiments, you can replace pomegranate molasses with some other syrups. The substitute won’t have totally the same taste but they will do the job, especially if you need fruity, sweet-sour syrup for meat dishes or as a salad dressing. So here are the top substitutes:
- Grenadine (if you use grenadine don’t add any other sweet ingredients, because grenadine is very sweet, sweeter than pomegranate molasses)
- Balsamic vinegar with sugar or honey (this sour-sweet mix is good for roasted vegetables or salads)
- Tamarind paste with honey or sugar, vinegar and dates (good for meat dishes)
- Cranberry juice concentrate (combine with some sugar and vinegar, depending how sweet or sour dressing you want to make)
- Sweetened pomegranate juice (you can prepare molasses with it)
- Honey and lemon
- Maple syrup
- Corn syrup
- Brown sugar
- One cup of granulated sugar with one cup of water
- Raspberry or blackberry jam (you need to mix it with water and cook it a few minutes so it becomes less thick, like a sauce).
- Blackcurrant syrup (more bitter than pomegranate)
Depending on what dish you are preparing, do you like more sour or more sweet taste, you can adjust the amount of each ingredient. For instance, if you have raspberry jam or other fruit jam, you can mix it with water until it becomes like sauce, and if it is too sweet, you can always add some lemon or vinegar. The process is similar for all substitutes mentioned above, start by adding small amounts of each ingredient and add more sweet or sour taste. Don’t mix the sauce with your dish before you have tried it. If it is too sweet, you can always fix it with sour additions and vice versa.
What is pomegranate molasses used for?
- Salad dressings
Pomegranate molasses goes well with salads, especially green ones like rocket salad, lettuce, even with spinach salad. You can mix it with parsley, garlic, olive oil, and it goes perfect with white types of cheese, such as ricotta or feta. I like to put it on salads with meats or bacon, cheese or basic salads, but I wouldn’t recommend that you put it in a tuna salad for example. In the end, it’s up to you and your personal taste.
2. Meat marinades or sauces
You can combine pomegranate molasses with olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano and many other flavors, to make a marinade. Any kind of meat can be marinated for hours in this tasty marinade. Or, if you prefer you can make the sauce with pomegranate molasses and put it on roasted or grilled meat when served.
3. Roasted vegetables
If you like to roast vegetables in the oven, you can sprinkle them with pomegranate molasses and other spices you like and bake it like that. It will give a special new flavor to any roasted dish.
4. Dips for pita breads
Those who like hummus, chickpea dips, hot pepper dips, baba ghanoush and other dips from Middle Eastern cuisine, will be thrilled to learn that pomegranate molasses can be used for these dips. Of course, you can always top fresh pomegranate on your hummus, but try mixing pomegranate molasses in it.
5. Soups and stews with pomegranate molasses
You can add pomegranate molasses in almost any meat stew or hot pot, sweet potato soup, spinach or lentil soup, carrot soup. It goes well with eggplant and lentil stews, or any other Turkish or Persian style stew.
6. Mashed vegetables
Similar to roasted vegetables, mashed vegetables such as mashed potatoes, peas, cauliflower, will get a totally new twist if you add pomegranate molasses.
7. Wok dishes
If you like to cook Chinese dishes, you can add some pomegranate molasses to almost any dish. Sweet and sour flavors are inevitable part of Chinese food. Instead of putting honey and vinegar in your Chinese dish, you can try adding this molasses.
8. Ice cream and desserts
Pomegranate molasses can be used to garnish your dessert plate or as an ice cream topping. Depending on the dessert, you can put more or it, as a topping, or just a few drops on the plate for decoration.
9. Cocktails, ice tea, fizzy drinks
Many cocktails are made of grenadine or other sweet or sour syrups. Why not pomegranate molasses? Next time you make cocktails for your party, play with the flavors and add a few drizzles of it. It also mix well with fizzle drinks such as prosecco. If you don’t drink alcohol, you can make soft drinks or ice tea with it, combining molasses with soda, ice and some other juice, tea or fruits.
10. Pastries and tarts
Pear tarts, lamb pastries or tarts, meat pies…you can add molasses in almost any sweet or savoury pastry. It goes well with pastries with duck, lamb, chicken or other meats, you can put it on fruit or chocolate tarts, sweet or savoury strudels, stuffed with eggplant or other vegetables.
Similar to honey, cranberry juice concentrate or other fruit syrups, pomegranate molasses can find its purpose in a variety of dishes, treats and drinks. Use your imagination and add this sweet-sour sauce in the next dish you prepare for your family lunch.
How much Pomegranite syrup should you use instead of granulated sugar? 1 tbsp sugar = how much pomegranite?
It depends on the pomegranate syrup you use. First of all, not every pomegranate is equally sweet, then pomegranate molasses can differ in sweetness. It is the best you use a tbsp of pomegranate syrup instead of a tbsp of sugar and then to add more if necessary.