Pomegranate Molasses

One US cup of pomegranate molasses weighs 320 grams. Going the other way, 100 grams is about 0.31 cups.

Also called pomegranate syrup, pomegranate concentrate, dibs rumman, dibs rimman, cortas pomegranate molasses, pomegranate reduction, narsharab.

TL;DR: Pomegranate molasses converges at 320 g/cup (20g per tablespoon), density 1.35 g/mL, across Cortas (the dominant Lebanese brand) and other producer labels. King Arthur's chart does not list it, leaving the growing Western use of this Middle Eastern staple without a US baking reference.

Pomegranate molasses is a thick, dark ruby syrup made by reducing pomegranate juice to a fraction of its original volume, sometimes with added sugar and lemon juice to standardize sweetness and tartness. It's a foundational ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisines — Lebanese, Persian, Turkish, Syrian, and Armenian cooking all rely on it heavily. Classic uses include fesenjan (Persian walnut-pomegranate chicken stew), muhammara (Syrian roasted red pepper and walnut dip), fattoush (Levantine salad), lamb glazes, tahini-based salad dressings, and modern applications in cocktails (as a grenadine substitute) and glazes for roasted vegetables. The flavor is distinctively sweet-tart-tangy with a fruity depth that no single Western ingredient replicates.

The name is misleading. Despite being called molasses, pomegranate molasses has no relationship to sugar cane molasses. Molasses in this context is an English translation of the Arabic dibs rumman (literally pomegranate reduction), describing a syrupy consistency rather than a chemical relationship to cane molasses. Some brands market it as pomegranate concentrate or pomegranate syrup for clarity. In Azerbaijani and Iranian usage, the same product is called narsharab.

Density is well-converged. Cortas Pomegranate Molasses — the dominant global brand, produced in Lebanon since 1930 — lists 1 tablespoon = 20g on its nutrition label, giving 320 g/cup at density 1.35 g/mL. Multiple aggregator sources (Carb Manager, FatSecret, Fitia, MyFoodDiary) all confirm the 20g figure. Physical composition (65-70% sugars, remainder water) matches the density-composition curve for concentrated fruit juice reductions. Same density as date syrup (also 320 g/cup, 1.35 g/mL) — both are fruit-juice-reduction syrups at similar solids fractions.

Sweetened vs unsweetened pomegranate molasses: Cortas and most commercial brands add sugar and lemon juice during reduction to standardize sweetness and acidity — the ingredient list reads concentrated pomegranate juice, sugar. Some artisan and traditional brands sell 100% pomegranate molasses (just reduced juice, no added sugar) — these are typically less sweet, more tart, and slightly less dense (280-300 g/cup range). Read the ingredients: single-ingredient pomegranate molasses will be sourer and thinner; standardized commercial versions are sweeter and slightly thicker.

Brand notes: Cortas (Lebanese, dominant globally, sweetened) is the reference product most recipes assume. Al Wadi (Lebanese, sweetened) is comparable. Sadaf (Iranian-American) sometimes sells unsweetened versions. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods 365 house brands are typically sweetened, comparable to Cortas.

Substitution when unavailable: for grenadine in cocktails, substitute 1:1 by volume — pomegranate molasses is closer to authentic grenadine than modern high-fructose-corn-syrup grenadine. In savory recipes, balsamic reduction (thickened balsamic vinegar cooked to syrup consistency) is the closest substitute in dressings, marinades, and glazes — not as fruity but comparable tartness and depth. In fesenjan and Middle Eastern stews, no true substitute exists — tamarind paste plus pomegranate juice plus a bit of sugar is a workaround that changes the character significantly. DIY: reduce 4 cups pomegranate juice plus 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tbsp lemon juice over medium heat until reduced to about 1 cup and syrupy, yielding approximately 1 cup pomegranate molasses.

Not to be confused with pomegranate juice concentrate, which is typically a thinner frozen concentrate meant to be reconstituted with water for drinking. Pomegranate molasses is far more reduced (5-6x concentration) and viscous.

Practical baker recommendation: for any recipe calling for pomegranate molasses, weigh at 20g per tablespoon (320 g/cup) using Cortas as the reference standard. Store refrigerated after opening for best flavor (6-month shelf life); it will not crystallize but does thicken further and darken with age. If a recipe specifies unsweetened pomegranate molasses and only sweetened is available, reduce added sugar in the recipe by about 1 tablespoon per 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses to compensate.