The boy and his poison: Grenadine

There's something very satisfying about learning how easy it is to make and improve something you'd otherwise usually buy without thinking. There's also something quite fulfilling about finding that a cocktail ingredient like Grenadine actually has a far more sophisticated origin than a bit-part in a Tequila Sunrise.

So lets dispense with the whole 'Grenadine' thing. This recipe is for Pomegranate Molasses, a syrup which looks like its a labour of love but is in fact a ridiculously easy thing to make which is as perfect for Lebanese cooking as it is for spicing up a cocktail. I guarantee that once you've seen how easy it is to make you'll never buy it again. I'll be making something a bit special with it next week so stay tuned.

You'll need:

• 500ml of Pomegranate Juice. The sugar and acidity content will vary, Pom seemes a lot more concentrated than Pomegreat which I used for this recipe but don't worry, you can compensate for the taste whilst cooking
• 80g of caster sugar
• 2 lemons for juice
• 1/2 a lime for juice

Then make:

• Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and give them a cursory stir
• Bring to the boil. At this stage I'd recommend tasting it, you're looking for the right acidity balance for your palate which you can adjust by adding more sugar or lime.
• Once its begun to boil, reduce the heat to a gradual simmer and allow the mixture to slowly reduce to a thick syrup
• Continue to heat until the mixture has reduced to quarter of its original volume, between 250ml and 300ml 
• Decant into a steralised bottle and prepare to impress your friends with your delicious molasses