Pomegranate Molasses (Nar Ekşisi): What It Is, How to Use It & the Best Substitutes

Quick answer:Pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi) is pomegranate juice slowly reduced to a thick, sweet-sour syrup. Use it in salad dressings, marinades, dips and stuffed vegetables. The best substitute isbalsamic glaze with a squeeze of lemon. Tamarind paste, or cranberry juice reduced with lemon, also work. Real nar ekşisi contains only pomegranate, so check the label for added glucose syrup or citric acid.

Key takeaways

• Real pomegranate molasses is100% pomegranate: juice or concentrate, reduced.
• In Turkey, imitation "pomegranate sauces" made with glucose syrup and additives can no longer be sold on the domestic market since30 June 2024.
• Its flavour istart first, sweet second, which makes it a souring agent more than a sweetener.
• You can make it at home from fresh or bottled pomegranate juice in about an hour.

What is pomegranate molasses?

Pomegranate molasses is made by boiling pomegranate juice until it thickens into a dark, glossy syrup. The sourer the pomegranates, the tarter the result. In southern Turkey, especially around Hatay, Gaziantep and the Aegean, and in Cyprus, it's an everyday pantry ingredient. Cooks use it where others might use vinegar or lemon, and it adds a fruity depth that neither of those gives.

Real vs imitation: how to read the label

For years, supermarket shelves held cheap "pomegranate sauces" that looked like nar ekşisi but were mostly glucose syrup, acid regulators, colourings and flavourings. Turkey tightened its Food Codex rules. Products such as "pomegranate-flavoured sauce", "pomegranate sauce" and "pomegranate syrup" that imitate nar ekşisi can't be kept on the domestic market after 30 June 2024, and realnar ekşisimay contain only pomegranate, pomegranate juice and/or concentrate, and water (report, in Turkish).

Wherever you shop, look for:

• Ingredients:Only "pomegranate" or "pomegranate juice concentrate". Avoid glucose or fructose syrup, "sugar", citric acid, colourings and sodium benzoate.
• Texture:Real molasses is thick and pours slowly, like honey.
• Taste:Clearly sour, with a fruity, slightly astringent finish, not just sweet.
• Price:It takes a lot of pomegranates to make one bottle, so a very cheap bottle is a warning sign.

How to use pomegranate molasses

The best pomegranate molasses substitutes

How to make pomegranate molasses at home

1. Pour 1 litre of 100% pomegranate juice (fresh-pressed or unsweetened bottled) into a wide, heavy pan.
2. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring now and then.
3. Add the juice of half a lemon if your pomegranates are very sweet.
4. Cook for 50 to 70 minutes, until it has reduced to about 200 ml and coats a spoon. It thickens more as it cools.
5. Pour it into a clean jar and store it in the fridge for up to 6 months.

Ourhomemade vinegar guidecovers another traditional souring ingredient worth keeping in your pantry.

Chef's tip:Don't reduce homemade molasses until it's very thick in the pan. If it gets to honey thickness while still hot, it can set nearly solid in the jar. Stop when it coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn through it holds for a second.

Pomegranate molasses vs balsamic vinegar

Both are dark, sweet-sour and syrupy, but they're different products. Balsamic is made from grape must and aged, and it tastes winey and mellow. Pomegranate molasses is sharper and fruitier, with a slight tannic finish. In salads you can use one for the other. In Turkish dishes such as ezme or çiğ köfte, pomegranate molasses is what gives them their flavour.

Three quick ways to start using it

5-minute pomegranate dressing

Whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon sumac, a small crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Toss with rocket, tomatoes, red onion and walnuts, or with a grain salad such as kısır.

Sticky chicken marinade

Mix 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon pul biber, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and salt. Coat 600 g chicken thighs and marinate for 1 to 12 hours. Roast at 200 °C (400 °F) for about 30 minutes until cooked through, basting once with the pan juices.

Roast vegetable glaze

Roast carrots, aubergine or squash with olive oil and salt. In the last 5 minutes, brush with pomegranate molasses thinned with a little water. Finish with herbs and toasted seeds.

Pomegranates in Cyprus

Pomegranate trees grow in village gardens all over Cyprus and ripen from early autumn. Besides molasses, the seeds go on salads and desserts, and the juice is drunk fresh at roadside stalls. Cypriot cooks often use nar ekşisi in meze dressings and with fresh cheese, such as therocket and hellim salad with pomegranate molasses.

Frequently asked questions

What can I use instead of pomegranate molasses?

Balsamic glaze with a little lemon juice is the easiest substitute. Tamarind paste with honey, reduced cranberry juice with lemon, or grape molasses with lemon also work.

Does pomegranate molasses need to be refrigerated?

Pure pomegranate molasses keeps well in a cool cupboard because it's so acidic and concentrated, but refrigerating it after opening keeps the flavour fresher for longer.

Is pomegranate molasses healthy?

Pure pomegranate molasses is simply concentrated fruit juice. It contains the fruit's natural sugars, so use it in small amounts. Avoid imitation sauces with added glucose syrup.

What does pomegranate molasses taste like?

Sour first, then fruity and gently sweet, with a slightly astringent finish, somewhere between cranberry, tamarind and balsamic.

How long does pomegranate molasses last?

An opened bottle of pure pomegranate molasses keeps for many months. Stored in the fridge, it keeps its best flavour for about 6 months to a year. Throw it away if it smells fermented or grows mould.

Is pomegranate molasses the same as grenadine?

No. Grenadine is a sweet syrup for drinks, usually made mostly of sugar and often with little or no pomegranate. Pomegranate molasses is concentrated pomegranate juice with a tart, savoury flavour for cooking.

Sources

• Elele (Turkish): Imitation pomegranate sauces banned from domestic market after 30 June 2024
• Pomegranate molasses: overview

Written by the House Chef Cyprus editorial team, Cyprus. Last reviewed: September 2026.