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| Flavored syrups made from California native and garden fruits |
You
can use them on pancakes or drizzle them on deserts. They make refreshing beverages and can even
be used to make cookies and pies. One of
the handiest uses for California native fruits and berries is flavored
syrups.
But
why discuss syrups in January, when fruits mostly ripen in summer or fall? First,
there’s still time to plant native berry and tea plants this year. Perhaps this
posting will inspire you. Second, syrups
are particularly useful right now, when fresh fruits – at least those from home
gardens – are scarce.
A
third reason is that some syrups can be made right now. Fruits/berries
are the most common flavoring agents; but syrups can be made from anything used
to make a natural tea as well. If you love mint tea – and your mint patch is
flourishing – now might be a good time to make mint flavored syrup.
Conditions
have been perfect for Hummingbird sage this winter (see http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2014/03/plant-of-month-march-hummingbird-sage.html).
You may be enjoying fresh tea and drying leaves for later use. You might also make a batch of Hummingbird
sage syrup. It’s easy, cheap and a
wonderful treat that can be used in many ways. We’ll post recipes featuring
flavored syrups in the next few months.
Flavored
syrups are essentially ‘simple syrups’ made with fruit juice or natural
tea. You can make as much or as little
as you want; and you can use them immediately or process them (like you would
jelly) for future use. The flavors are unique to your garden –
whether you make syrup from plums or nectarines or from the native fruits. The syrups make unique and wonderful gifts.
Making the juice/tea
The
main ingredient is either juice or natural tea. You can make juice from just about any
fruit: berries, grapes, strawberries, stone fruits, citrus, manzanita fruits,
etc. Just wash the fruits, cut and
remove the pit (from stone fruits) or slice the citrus thinly. Place fruit in a saucepan/pot and barely
cover with water.
Heat
to a near-boil; then let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes. The liquid should be colored and
well-flavored; smaller fruits will have burst their skins. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly, then
strain out the pulp/seeds. Use a jelly bag
or line a sieve with several layers of cheese cloth. The resulting ‘juice’ should be colored but
relatively clear, with no visible particles.
If using
natural tea, follow the instructions on making tea from our June, 2012 posting
(http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/06/making-tea-from-california-native-mint.html
). You might want to make the tea a
little stronger than normal if using it for syrup-making.
Flavored Syrup
1 cup
prepared juice or tea
1 to 2
cups sugar
Other flavorings
(optional): lemon juice; cinnamon (stick); other spices
You
can make this syrup in any amount – just use equal amounts of sugar and
juice. A thicker syrup (good on pancakes
or desserts) can be made by increasing the sugar up to a 1 to 2 ratio of
juice/tea to sugar (e.g., one cup juice to 2 cups sugar). Experiment to get the consistency and flavor
combination you prefer. You can also
combine several types of juice/tea if desired.
Place
sugar, juice and spices (optional) in a heavy saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until mixture
boils. Lower heat and continue to simmer
5 additional minutes. Remove from
heat.
Process
syrup with a boiling water bath* (as for jelly) if you want to store the syrup
for up to a year. Or cool and store in a
sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a month.
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*
A good way to preserve syrups is by canning them, using the sterilizing effects
of heat. This time honored method allows
you to store syrups, in canning jars, at room temperature. You need to be sure that you follow recommended
methods exactly to insure that your food is canned safely.
If
you’re new to preserving using a boiling water bath, we suggest reading a good
basic reference on home canning. A classic reference book is the Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving. Some
good on-line resources are:
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We encourage you to send us your
questions, comments and recipes (either comment below or e-mail to us at : mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
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