Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice is the pressed liquid from ripe pomegranates, typically deep ruby and translucent. It tastes tart-sweet with light tannins and bright acidity, and it reduces to a glossy syrup; cooks use it in vinaigrettes, marinades, pan sauces, braises, and desserts, sold fresh-pressed, refrigerated, or shelf-stable from concentrate or not-from-concentrate.\n\nCultivated from Iran to northern India and across the Mediterranean, pomegranates traveled via trade routes into Middle Eastern, Persian, South Asian, and Caucasian kitchens. Commercial producers press arils, then pasteurize the juice; some concentrate and later reconstitute it for consistent supply.