A few days ago, my neighbor gifted me an abundance of pomegranates, large, full of seeds, and super juicy: I absolutely had to use them somehow, so I decided to try my hand for the first time at making Pomegranate Liqueur.
Let’s start by saying it should be called Pomegranate Liqueur because this is the fruit while the Pomegranate tree is often confused. That said, let’s move on to the recipe.
From October onwards is the best time to consume pomegranates, a delicious fruit with numerous beneficial properties thanks to its content of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. (Properties and benefits of the Pomegranate fruit).
So, since I was gifted a whole basket, I thought about how I could use them besides the usual sweet preparations, and I remembered that my grandmother used to make Pomegranate Liqueur to drink together or as small Christmas gifts for her friends during the holiday season.
Preparing Liqueur with pomegranate seeds is not difficult at all; it only requires a few simple ingredients: drinking alcohol, sugar, and, of course, the pomegranate fruit from which the seeds must be extracted (How to easily extract seeds from a pomegranate) and tools we all have at home, like a sieve and a potato masher.
An excellent digestive, perfect to serve cold after a big meal, the Pomegranate Liqueur with its typical red color is an ideal alcoholic beverage to serve as a digestive to friends and family or to gift as a Christmas present since it is said to bring good luck.
Now let’s see all the steps of the recipe
Here are some more suggestions on how to use Pomegranate in cooking and other ideas for homemade Christmas gift sweets
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 20 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 1 bottle 1.5 l
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 52.21 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 8.71 (g) of which sugars 8.24 (g)
- Proteins 0.16 (g)
- Fat 0.11 (g) of which saturated 0.01 (g)of which unsaturated 0.02 (g)
- Fibers 0.37 (g)
- Sodium 0.84 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 20 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs pomegranate (de-seeded approx. 1.54 lbs)
- 2 cups pure alcohol
- 2.5 cups sugar
- 3.38 cups water
Tools
- Jar
- Glass bottle
- Sieve
- Saucepan
STEPS
First, clean the pomegranate fruit and extract the seeds (How to easily and quickly extract pomegranate seeds). Place the seeds in an airtight jar and add all the alcohol.
Close the jar and let it rest for 12 days to macerate in a dry place away from light or heat sources. Ideally, if you remember, shake the jar every day, but every other day is fine too. After 12 days, retrieve the jar and pour the mixture, through a sieve, into a bowl to collect the juice.
At this point, prepare the syrup. Pour 3.38 cups of water into a saucepan, add the sugar and heat without boiling so that the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool. Once the syrup has completely cooled, add the alcohol that was macerated with the pomegranate seeds. Stir to mix everything and transfer the Pomegranate Liqueur into a 1-liter bottle. Let it rest for at least 20 days at room temperature before serving or gifting it.
NOTES
If you want to make your Pomegranate Liqueur more aromatic, you can add a cinnamon stick or a vanilla pod during maceration.
3 IDEAS TO PACKAGE YOUR GIFT BOTTLES
1 – CLASSIC The paper or cardboard packaging. You can find many elongated cardboard packaging options in the market that can easily hold bottles, or if you prefer, you can create the packaging yourself. Simply wrap a sheet of paper or cardboard around the bottle to form a cylinder, seal it with tape, and finally, decorate it with personalized labels and fabric bows.
2 – ORIGINAL You can use a scarf to wrap the bottle, making it a double gift! Suitable for two bottles. Even with a scarf, you can create a beautiful and original gift package. Just take a square scarf made of sturdy fabric, wrap it around the bottles, and use the remaining fabric to tie a double knot that will serve as a handle.
3 – ECOLOGICAL You can choose a beautiful, eco-friendly packaging by using a fabric bag. Fabric bags come in many different materials such as hemp, cotton, jute. You can personalize them with ribbons or handmade labels.
STORAGE
The Pomegranate Liqueur can be stored at room temperature once ready, but I suggest keeping it in the refrigerator or freezer as it is best enjoyed cold. It lasts up to 90 days, but I doubt you’ll resist for so long before finishing it.
FOR PROPER PREPARATION OF HOMEMADE PRESERVES
If you prepare preserves at home, carefully follow the Guidelines from the Ministry of Health. They provide a set of hygiene rules, ingredient handling, pasteurization, and storage to avoid health risks.
