Here’s the thing about summer. It’s busy. Crazy, stupid busy.
There’s no such thing as summer vacation around here. We have the mowing and the garden and the berries and the mowing and the building and the working and the mowing and the garden and the canning and the jams and the garden and the herbs and the mowing and ….
You get the idea.
Anise hyssop:
I get all these great herbs just at the wrong time for me to do anything with them. The herbs are ready in June and July and I may not have time to make jam with them until maybe six weeks later.
They don’t do so well in the fridge for six weeks. Or in a vase. I could dry them, but that’s a lot of work itself and somehow things just taste better if you can use the fresh herbs.
Lemon verbena:
And so here’s the thing about herbs for jam. You can capture that fresh flavor and hang onto it for a few months by making simple syrups with the herbs.
Bay:
I made three kinds of simple syrup this year: Anise hyssop, lemon verbena, and bay. I have used them to make jams and they are delicious!
Making the herb syrups is simple. That’s why they’re called simple syrups.
Simple Herb Syrups
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup herb leaves
Combine everything in a small pot. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Strain the herbs out. Put in a jar and seal if you want to keep it indefinitely. These will keep nicely on your counter for a few days, or in the fridge for a few months.
They’re so pretty!
Here’s the bonus!
You can use these to flavor all kinds of stuff, like jams and cakes and pies and trifles and as meat glazes. Yep. Yum.
You can use them straight over fruit in tarts or ice cream or in drinks, too!
Get the handy printable and save it to your recipe box: Simple Herb Syrups
Robin from Rurification blogs at Rurification.
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Pete says:
Great idea! Was wondering what to do with the lemon balm around here and THIS IS IT! It is great to add to tea, and finally, this will be the correct way to preserve it, at least for a while, to extend the summer sun tea season.
Thanks!
On September 17, 2012 at 7:43 am
prvrbs31gal says:
Could you share how to go from the syrup to jam/jelly? I am totally going to make a syrup with chocolate mint so I can add it to hot cocoa this winter, but would love to turn the lemon verbena and balm into jelly.
On September 17, 2012 at 11:33 am
Robin from Rurification says:
Prvrbs31gal – That post is coming soon!
On September 17, 2012 at 11:40 am
AspenFlower says:
Thank you, Robin, for sharing this recipe with us. I am so glad I came across this recipe. I’ve been wanting to learn how to make simple syrups. I hear about them a lot & I just haven’t gotten around to researching recipe’s or what not. Once I saw this post, I knew it was a keeper! I’m going to try making this with peppermint leaves. Thanks again for your simple syrup recipe!
On September 19, 2012 at 2:25 am
Joy says:
Can you boiling water bath process these syrups so that you can give them as gifts and not have to keep in the fridge? I’d love to give some mint syrup in pretty bottles as a Christmas gift (so great in hot chocolate). Anyone have a recipe for that to share? I love to give homemade gifts for Christmas. My fudge is famous. I’ve made herb-flavored vinegar in the past. More homecooked ideas are welcome. Hey, how about a course in Sass U next year on homecooked gifts for Christmas?
On September 21, 2012 at 11:05 am
Robin from Rurification says:
Hi Joy! According to the FDA, food should have a pH of 4.5 or lower to can safely. This syrups have a higher pH. That said, I do can these myself and have never had a problem keeping them for ages.
On September 21, 2012 at 2:20 pm