This is a little bonus post that goes along with today’s fresh-squeezed lemonade and limeade post. If you really want to up your lemonade game, try making one (or more) of these fresh fruit syrups and setting out sprigs of mint, basil, and jalapeño slices and allow people to play bartender and mix their own custom lemonades!
Fresh Fruit Syrups
Description
Fresh fruit syrups perfect for mixing your own custom drinks or drizzling over cheesecake, waffles, or pancakes!
Ingredients
Varies depending on ingredients–see instructions below
Instructions
PEACH SYRUP
1 cup cane sugar
1 cup water
2-3 very ripe peaches, peeled and roughly chopped
Instructions:
In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the peaches, smashing them up against the side of the pan. Cover with a lid and allow the mixture to steep for 30 minutes.
Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl or measuring cup and strain the mixture. If desired, add a small amount of the crushed fruit to the syrup to give it some texture. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
BLACKBERRY SYRUP
4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
⅔ cup white sugar
¼ cup water
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar, water, salt, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, then reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, periodically crushing the berries against the sides of the pan, until the berries are broken down significantly. REmove from heat.
Strain the berry pulp through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or large measuring cup. If desired, add some of the crushed berries back into the syrup for texture and thickness. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
STRAWBERRY SYRUP
1 pint strawberries
⅓ cup white sugar
Instructions:
Wash and hull the strawberries and place in a medium saucepan. Add sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and crushing the strawberries constantly.
After 5 minutes, remove from heat. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender; just cool it down a little more before adding to a plastic blender jar), pulse the berries until the desired consistency is reached. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
RASPBERRY SYRUP
1 pint fresh or frozen raspberries
⅓ cup white sugar
½ cup cold water
Instructions:
Combine the raspberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring and crushing the berries constantly. Remove from heat.
If desired, puree with an immersion blender. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and then if you’d like more texture/thickness, add some of the fruit pulp back into the syrup. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
To use in lemonade, fill a glass half full with ice, add 2-3 tablespoons syrup and any other mix-ins like mint or basil sprigs, jalapeño slices, and/or lemon or lime wedges or slices, then add in lemonade and stir with a straw or long-handled spoon.
How would you know if your product spoiled? Thanks in advance!
It would have a bad taste or smell!