As the weather deepens into Fall, my garden is done, the harvest is put away and wood is stacked on the porch. I can finally turn my attention to other things and so I return to the kitchen to make the most of all our hard work. Like this, Delicious Berry Syrup from Summer Harvests.
Going through my photographs I found this one, our Easiest Pancakes EVER served with a wildberry syrup made from berries my daughter and I picked in the early hours of a summer morning. Her puppy bounded around us, the baby watching from his stroller as we picked the black caps. We snacked as much as we filled that bucket. It was a simple, happy morning.
The berries were delicious and the photograph brought back the sweet tartness in memory. So I made some for breakfast last Sunday.
How, in the depths of fall can I make pancakes with fresh summer berries? We use, wait for it, fresh frozen. One of the many ways we preserve the wonderful things we harvest is by freezing them for use later, then we can have a taste of summer when the leaves have fallen and summer seems very far away.
The process is the same for fresh or fresh frozen berries. When using wild berries test for tartness before you start the syrup, you will add more (or less) sugar depending on the tart level. You can make this sauce with everything from gooseberries, wild blackberries, wild strawberries or black caps (wild back raspberries), store-bought berries, and even cranberries (try it with a bit of orange instead of lemon zest). You will adjust cooking time and sugar depending on what you use.
The basics are:
2 cups berries
1 cup water
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Thoroughly wash the berries and taste one to determine tartness. Add water and sugar required to a saucepan and dissolve the sugar over medium heat. Stirring often.
Add 1 1/2 cups of berries and lemon zest and stir as you bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and stir often, keep at simmer for about 15 minutes, until berries are soft and liquid thickened slightly. Press liquid, berries and zest through a strainer.
Return liquid to saucepan and simmer, stirring constantly for approximately 5 more minutes, add in reserved berries and warm through. Serve over your favorite pancake recipe or a slice of pound cake.
Wildberry Syrup
Easy Fruit Syrup with whole berries. Made from wild berries we pick during the summer.
Ingredients
- 2 cups wild berries of choice
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 – 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Reserve 1/2 cup of wild berries
- Determine the tartness of berries. More tart, more sugar.
- Water and sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring often.
- Add berries and lemon zest. Bring to boil stirring often, reduce heat and simmer for 15 or so until berries are soft and liquid reduced by about a 1/4. You want the liquid thicker than water but still quite liquid so it soaks into the pancakes. If you prefer it more syrupy, cook longer.
- When it reaches the level of thickness you like, Strain liquid through a strainer but push solids gently to get as much liquid out as you can.
- Return to the stove top and add reserved berries, warming them through (just a minute or two).
- Turn off the heat, let cool slightly and serve warm over pound cake or the Easiest Pancakes EVER
Notes
This can be made with any berries, fresh or frozen. Wildberries tend to be my go-to because we have so many during the summer!
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 86Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 2mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 2gSugar 20gProtein 0g
These nutrition calculations are a guideline and should be used as such. This is not a confirmation of exact nutritional information.
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