With fruit making its spring debut and brunch season beginning, making your own fresh fruit syrups is another culinary rite of this time of year. Fruit syrups are easy to simmer up and can turn any ordinary breakfast or brunch dish into something scintillatingly special. Pick your favorite ripe fruit, grab a few mason jars and your sensationally sweet drizzle of spring is a mere 15 minutes away.
RECIPES
Mixed Berry Syrup
Makes about 3 cups
Eating fresh berries at the peak of ripeness are akin to popping little pieces of candy into your mouth. To extend the life of the spring sweets, turn them into a delectable fruit syrup to liven up pancakes and waffles or swirl into plain yogurt or whipped ricotta cheese. Try a generous drizzle on your next piece of cheesecake. You can also make this a single berry syrup if an abundance of other berries are unavailable.
Ingredients:
2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, lignonberries or other)
Juice of a small lemon
1/4 cup sugar (or more if berries are tart)
1 1/2 light corn syrup
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine berries, lemon juice, sugar and corn syrup. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in cornstarch mixture and continue to stir until mixture comes back to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm. If making ahead, store syrup in a mason jar (or other airtight container) in the refrigerator.
Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
When most people think of rhubarb, they think of toothsome chunks of this stalk partnered with ripe strawberries nestled in a tender piecrust. This quintessential strawberry rhubarb combination can be deliciously simmered into a syrup to stir into cottage cheese, top French toast or spoon onto pound cake and vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients:
1 cup diced rhubarb
1 cup sugar
Juice of a small lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup trimmed, sliced strawberries
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and corn syrup. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and cook until rhubarb is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the strawberries and bring mixture back to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and continue to stir until syrup comes back to a simmer, cornstarch has dissolved and mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and serve warm. If making ahead, store syrup in a mason jar (or other airtight container) in the refrigerator.
Orange Apricot Syrup
Makes about 3 1/4 cups
Apricots and orange meld beautifully into a chunky syrup made for breakfast goodies. This syrup is also a sensational sauce for salmon or pork. It even shines as a salad dressing when whisked together with olive oil and white wine vinegar.
Ingredients:
1 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons minced zest of an orange
2 cups fresh pitted apricots, diced fine
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with juice of an orange (about 1/3 cup)
Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine preserves, zest, apricots and corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir continuously until syrup comes back to a simmer and thickens. Remove from heat and serve warm. If making ahead, store syrup in a mason jar (or other airtight container) in the refrigerator.
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