Fruit & Herb Honey Syrups

• Produce

  • 1 Citrus zest & juice -- from lemons
  • 1 Fruit, fresh or frozen
  • 1 Ginger, root

• Condiments

  • 1 Honey, pure

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 Spices -- cinnamon sticks

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1 Extracts -- vanilla and almond

• Other

  • herbs -- torn or roughly chopped to release flavor; try mint, basil, sage, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, or lavender

Found on theyummylife.com

Description

Ingredients

• fruit -- fresh or frozen; chopped, except small berries may be left whole
• citrus zest & juice -- from lemons, oranges, & limes
• ginger root -- chopped
• herbs -- torn or roughly chopped to release flavor; try mint, basil, sage, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, or lavender
• spices -- cinnamon sticks (broken in pieces), whole cloves
• extracts -- vanilla and almond
• honey -- pure, unfiltered, unheated

Directions

• Supplies needed: 1 quart mason jars with lid (or similar container) for combining ingredients; 1 to 2 cup jars or bottles for storing finished syrup; muddler or wooden spoon; fine wire mesh strainerGENERAL DIRECTIONS for whatever fruit/herb combo you desire.1. Add herbs and fruit to quart jar; press and twist with muddler of wooden spoon to release juice and flavor.2. Add honey; stir to combine.3. Cover and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.4. Strain out solids by pouring mixture through a fine wire mesh strainer.5. Store in jar or bottle in fridge for up to a month (maybe longer--time varies depending on ingredients used). May be frozen, if longer storage is desired, leaving enough space at top of jar/container to allow for expansion while freezing.8 suggested flavor combinations:1. RASPBERRY ORANGE: 2 cups raspberries, zest and juice from 1 orange, 1 cup honey2. BLUEBERRY (or Blackberry) SAGE: 2 cups blueberries, juice from 1 lemon, 8-10 torn/chopped sage leaves, 1 cup honey3. STRAWBERRY BASIL: 2 cups chopped strawberries, zest & juice from 1 lime, 6 torn/chopped basil leaves, 1 cup honey4. PINEAPPLE MINT: 2 cups chopped pineapple, juice from 1 lemon, 16 torn/chopped mint leaves, 1 cup honey5. GINGER LEMON: 2 cups (1/2 pound) chopped ginger (NOTE: chop small to release more flavor; may use food processor), juice & zest from 4 lemons, 1 cup honey. This flavor lasts 2-3 months in the fridge because of the natural preservatives in the ingredients.6. PEACH ALMOND: 2 cups chopped peaches (or mangoes or nectarines), juice form 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 1 cup honey7. APPLE MAPLE CINNAMON: 2 cups chopped apple (NOTE: chop fairly small to release more flavor; may use food processor), juice from 1 lemon, 3 cinnamon sticks (broken or pounded into small pieces), 1/2 cup maple syrup, 3/4 cup honey.8. CHERRY VANILLA: 2 cups chopped cherries, juice from 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup honeyINVENT-YOUR-OWN FLAVOR FORMULAHeres a general guideline, keeping in mind that fruits and herbs have different flavor intensity. So, experimenting and adjustments may be necessary.--2 cups chopped fruit--1-2 sprigs herbs, chopped or torn--zest and/or juice from lemon, lime, or orange--1 cup honey--whole spices; for example, 3 broken cinnamon sticks; 1 teaspoon whole cloves--1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract USES FOR SYRUPS: Stir them into hot and cold beverages, cocktails, yogurt,  & smoothies. Drizzle them over crushed ice (similar to a snow cone). Make your own carbonated soft drinks by stirring these syrups into sparkling water.NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION per tablespoon of syrup: 44 calories, 0g fat, 11.8g carbs, 11.7g sugars, 0g fiber, .1g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 1