Blackberry and Mint Syrup
Blackberries ripen beginning in August where we live, which tends to be the hottest month on the farm, when our mint begins to struggle to keep enough water under the sun’s relentless shining. We always do a big trim of the mint right around Belinda’s birthday (August 16), which is the same time that the berries are ripe on the drive up to the farm—so we go out with the kids in the cooler evenings and mornings to pick.The timing of these mint cuttings—while ripe, dark berries were draining in colanders in the sink—first inspired this syrup flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup marionberries or blackberries
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup fresh mint (Use young, soft mint leaves without any browning for best flavor.)
Instructions
- Combine the berries with the sugar and water in a saucepot over medium heat and mash the berries as they heat to release their juices. Stir often to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved and the berries are finely mashed and juicy, remove from the heat and add the mint. Infuse the mint off the heat for 5 to 10 minutes, tasting as you go until the mint flavor is round and present but not bitter.
- Strain out the mint and berry seeds. Bottle in a clean container with a lid, and store in the refrigerator for up to two months.
Notes
You can use any berry in this recipe and any variety of mint, though we like spearmint. The mint can also be replaced with lemon balm, which works well.