Barberry Syrup
Ingredients
Directions
Extract the juice
Strip the barberries and cover them with water.
Heat gently, being careful not to burn them; do not boil.
Squeeze the barberries to extract the juice.
Strain the juice.
Sweeten and bottle
To 1 pint of warm juice, add 2 pints of sugar.
Pour the sweetened juice into a pitcher.
Place the pitcher in hot water until the sugar is dissolved.
Bottle the syrup.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Barberries
- Supply the tart juice that gives the syrup its flavour and colour.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the tart juice and, once dissolved, gives the syrup its body.
The step that matters
Heat the barberries gently without boiling. Scorching the fruit makes the juice taste burnt and dulls its bright, fresh flavour. A hard boil can draw out harsh, cooked notes. Gentle heat releases the juice while keeping its character clean.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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