Blueberry-Lemon Syrup

Jason and I shared a pleasant evening working together in the kitchen, listening to Fleetwood Mac, while cooking, cleaning and canning simultaneously. We got three batches of syrup done this evening, more of our beloved Blackberry, more Raspberry-Mint for us to keep, and our new favorite Blueberry-Lemon. Oh man, does this sucker take the cake! (Or should I say it takes the pancake?!? LOL!!) I was worried because at first the lemon was a bit overpowering, but it mellowed out nicely after an extended simmering. I also have to mention here how blown away I was by the stunning royal purple color of this syrup. It definitely looks as yummy as it tastes! I am glad that it made an extra half-pint because I promised to give some to the farmer for giving me such a good deal on the berries.

Once again, there is no particular recipe here. Just throw the berries in a saucepan with 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of water and the zest of one lemon (I added the juice of half the lemon as well as the zest in this batch) and let them simmer while you mash away! Once it thins out into a nice juice, run it through a fine mesh strainer or through a food mill to get the majority of the seeds and pulp out. You're never going to get it all, especially if your using raspberries, because a lot of times the seeds are too small to catch. I usually find that in this case the seeds are softer, so you'll hardly notice them if they do make it into your final product. Then measure the amount of juice you have, and pour it back into the (washed) saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of sugar for each 1/4 cup of juice you have. Bring it to a boil to fully incorporate the sugar and then bring it back down to a simmer. Pour the syrup into half-pint jars and then water bath process for 10 minutes and YOU'RE DONE!

If you love Blueberry Syrup then you have to make this! It's so much better than store bought syrup, and super-easy to boot!! And if you can't find fresh blueberries in your area this time of the year then use frozen berries instead. It will brighten up your winter breakfast table, we promise!