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Writer's picturecjceleiro

Ode to Fruit Molasses

Something terrible happened last week. I ran out of pomegranate molasses.


If you've never heard of it, pomegranate molasses is a Middle Eastern ingredient made simply of pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice. It gets boiled down until thick and syrupy. I use it often, but it's not exactly easy to find in stores. I often have to head to specialty markets or one of the small grocers in Reading Terminal Market. Reading gets slammed, and while I'm sure they are taking all necessary precautions during COVID-19, the aisles are simply too tight, and I can't imagine it going over well.


Luckily, it's super easy to make at home, and I have done it before. This got me to thinking: the method of making pomegranate molasses is pretty foolproof - I assume it would work with other fruits, no?


Newsflash: it works. And the results are better than I could have ever imagined.


So much deliciousness in such a small jar.

I used the leftover guava juice from the Cinco de Mayo Livestream to make guava molasses. This stuff is good. It's got that tropical funk that only could come from guava (an ingredient abundant in my hometown of Florida yet shockingly scarce in Philly), and the lemon juice not only helps thicken the molasses with natural pectin, but it also provides a friendly tang. I can confidently say this method would work with just about any type of juicy fruit (sorry to banana, avocado, coconut, and date)


So, how do you use the stuff? I mostly use molasses for glazes on foods like lamb or to finish off a sautéd green, like kale or swiss chard. But don't sell your fruit molasses short. It makes an excellent addition to marinades, salad dressings, and even cocktails! I'll be posting three recipes over the course of the next week or so to feature my guava molasses, but feel free to make your own concoctions!


Here's a beautiful stock photo for inspiration.

So gather some juice, set aside some time, and make your new favorite refrigerator staple. It's one of the simplest ingredients you can make to add a new punch of flavor to your favorite dishes.


With a new obsession and not enough mason jars,


~c.j.


 

FRUIT MOLASSES

Yield: 1 cup

Active Cook Time: 50-100 minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups fruit juice or nectar*

  • 1/2 cup white sugar

  • 1 lemon, juiced

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a medium saucepan, add fruit juice, white sugar, and lemon juice. Place over medium heat and whisk to dissolve sugar, about 5-10 minutes.

  2. Once sugar is mostly dissolved, turn heat up to high. Once a steady simmer is reached (small, constant bubbles), reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until thick and syrupy, about 45-90 minutes, depending on the fruit you used, stirring about every 15 minutes to prevent sugar crystallization on the sides of the pan. You will know when it is done because the consistency will be slowly pourable, not unlike artificial maple syrup (if you were to measure it, you should have about 1 cup of molasses). Place in a mason jar or airtight container and refrigerate. Store in the fridge for up to 6 months. Use in glazes, marinades, salad dressings, sautéd greens, or cocktails.


NOTES

*Fruit nectars are naturally thicker given their lower water content, which means your molasses would need less time on the stove. Additionally, if you use nectar your yield will be more than 1 cup - perhaps more like a cup and a half. Additionally, feel free to combine fruit juices. Nobody would be mad at a strawberry-kiwi, mixed berry, or mango-pineapple molasses!


SUGGESTIONS AND USES

BY INSPIRED CUISINE

  • American BBQ: Apple, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Cranberry, Fig, Grape, Mango, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Nectarine, Starfruit, Strawberry

  • Australian BBQ: Apple, Cherry, Fig, Kiwi, Mango, Peach, Starfruit

  • Cocktails: Any!

  • Dessert/Yogurt Topping: Any!

  • Hawaiian BBQ: Apple, Cherry, Guava, Mango, Peach, Pear, Papaya, Pineapple

  • Latin American: Blood Orange, Guava, Lemon, Lime, Mango, Orange, Papaya, Passionfruit, Prickly Pear, Pineapple, Starfruit

  • Middle Eastern/Indian: Fig, Lemon, Pomegranate

  • Pan-Asian: Dragonfruit, Mango, Orange, Lychee, Papaya, Pear, Rambutan

  • Salad Dressings: Any!

BY PROTEIN

  • Chicken Marinade/Sauce: Apple, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Fig, Guava, Lemon, Lychee, Nectarine, Passionfruit, Pear, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Starfruit

  • Duck Marinade/Sauce: Blood Orange, Cherry, Cranberry, Pomegranate, Orange

  • Lamb Marinade/Sauce: Blood Orange, Cherry, Cranberry, Fig, Lemon, Pomegranate, Watermelon

  • Plant Based Protein Marinade/Sauce: Dragonfruit, Guava, Lemon, Lychee, Nectarine, Passionfruit, Pomegranate, Papaya, Rambutan

  • Pork Marinade/Sauce: Apple, Fig, Grape, Guava, Nectarine, Peach, Pear, Plum, Raspberry

  • Seafood Marinade/Sauce: Blood Orange, Dragonfruit, Grapefruit, Guava, Lemon, Lime, Lychee, Mango, Orange, Passionfruit, Papaya, Pineapple, Prickly Pear, Rambutan, Raspberry, Watermelon

  • Steak Marinade/Sauce: Apple, Blackberry, Blood Orange, Fig, Lime, Mango, Pineapple, Plum, Prickly Pear, Watermelon

  • Turkey Marinade/Sauce: Apple, Cherry, Cranberry, Fig, Lemon, Plum

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