Adding sweet blueberry flavor to your cocktails or mocktails has never been easier with this homemade blueberry simple syrup. Â There’s nothing like adding natural fruity flavor to your favorite drinks. Â It not only adds flavor but takes your beverages to the next level with esthetic appeal!
Turn that lemonade into a gorgeous blueberry lemonade or  standard cocktails into a blissful summery treat!
Preparing and Cooking Simple Syrup
When making a fruity simple syrup, I always start with fresh berries. I do not use frozen berries and never have. Always wash your berries before preparing them for cooking.
Add the berries, water and sugar to your medium saucepan. Give it a couple stirs as it’s warming up and watch as the sugar dissolves. Once it starts simmering, turn the heat to low and let it simmer about 15 minutes. About half way through once you start seeing some blueberries burst use a potato masher or wooden spoon to mash them up a little more.
After the time is up turn off the burner and allow the berry mixture to cool at least about 10 minutes. Then transfer the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a glass container to store the syrup in the refrigerator.
Ways to Use Berry Simple Syrup
Blueberry simple syrup is great to add color and extra flavor to cocktails. Make a blueberry margarita for Cinco de Mayo or a Blueberry Mint julep for a Derby party. Add some blue syrup to non-alcoholic drinks for a buzz free treat.
Add a touch of flavor without too much sugar to club soda for a delicious homemade “healthier” blueberry soda. I personally hate high fructose corn syrup laden sodas. My way of giving my kids a little treat on holidays is to drizzle a little flavored simple syrup into a can or glass of flavored sparkling water. It’s great for making a large batch of homemade blueberry lemonade too. A fun way to add some color and flavor to ice cubes is adding a drizzle of the syrup to water for ice; just a fun touch for a party!
Add some to cold drinks or a glass of iced tea in the summer for a burst of flavor! Drizzle some syrup over desserts liked baked goods or vanilla ice cream for an elevated dessert.
Blueberry Syrup Pairing
Blueberries pair well with certain other flavors; from herbs to cheeses. The humble blueberry makes a fantastic natural liquid sweetener.
Citrus:
Lemon (an obvious one), orange (Not so obvious, but also delicious), lychee and lime.
Herbs & Spices:
Vanilla goes very well with blueberry, so if you have a vanilla flavored baked good a drizzle of this blueberry syrup would taste great! Mint, lavender and rosemary go great as well.
Cheeses:
Try a drizzle on some on brie cheese or some salty feta or goat cheese.
Food:
Lemon is a given for pairing well with blueberry flavor. A little drizzle on waffles, French toast or pancakes in place of maple syrup. Try some on a little cottage cheese.
Blueberry Simple Syrup Ingredients
- Blueberries- I suggest fresh blueberries only. I have not even tried making this syrup with frozen blueberries.
- Sugar- Standard white granulated sugar.
- Water- Tap water or filtered water, that’s a matter of your preference.
- Lemon Juice (Optional)- I add just a splash of lemon juice to the homemade syrup because as with anything else, just a touch of acid gives it a nice balance.
Storing & Preserving Simple Syrup
It’s best to store fruit simple syrups in a mason jar or glass container to keep it from staining other containers. Keeping it in a glass container also helps maintain its freshness, untainted from other materials like metal or plastic. You can preserve the syrup for longer by freezing it in some ice cube trays if you don’t finish it within a couple weeks.
Homemade Blueberry Simple Syrup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz. Blueberries Organic recommended
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup water
- dash salt
- 1 tsp. lemon juice Optional
Instructions
- Add water, sugar, blueberries and a dash of salt to a small saucepan and turn the stovetop to medium heat. (Stay close to the saucepan so it doesn't over-boil)
- Once it gets up to a gentle boil and the sugar dissolves, turn it down to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes. The berries will break down. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to help break them down even more.
- About half way through, use a wooden spoon or potato masher to help break them down even more.
- Once the 15 minutes is up, turn off the burner and remove the blueberry mixture from the heat. Let it sit and cool for about 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice now if you choose to do so.
- Once it's cool enough to handle, carefully pour the blueberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve (ideally a cone shaped one) into a 2 cup glass measuring cup or straight into a mason jar. (For the final storage of the syrup a glass container is better than plastic for freshness, plus it won't stain. )
- When the container is cooled off to about room temperature, place a tight fitting lid on it and place it in the refrigerator for storage until you are ready to use it.
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