Oregon Grape Syrup

Amber of Rowan & Oak shares how to make a berry-infused syrup from a native Oregon berry. She writes that "These syrups are absolutely delicious and an amazing way to get immune boosting medicine into your little ones (and you)." Even more, the technique she uses is flexible and can be adjusted for different herbs and spices.

Ingredients:
-4 cups (or more!) medicinal, wild-harvested berries such as Oregon grape berries, elderberries, wild blackberries, etc.
-Local honey
-Medicinal herbs of choice such as american licorice root, cinnamon, astragalus, ginger, etc.

Source: lavender fresh flower infused oil tutorial

Step 1

Take your berries and wash them well, de-stem and place them in a large saucepan. If you’re working with very juicy berries, don’t bother adding any water, but if you have a drier berry, like Oregon grape berries, then add a cup or two of water to the pot as well. If you’re adding herbs then place them in the pot as well.

Step 2

Bring to a simmer and cook covered over medium heat until the berries release most of their juice, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 3

At this point, I use a food mill to separate the juice and pulp from the seeds. If you don’t have a food mill you can strain the syrup in batches using a jelly bag or square piece of muslin. But a food mill is much easier. Then I strain it again through a jelly bag to remove most of the pulp and any seeds or bits of herb that might have escaped the food mill.

Step 4

Measure your juice. For every cup of juice measure out 1/2 cup of honey. Wash your pot and pour the strained juice back into it. Bring it to a simmer and add the honey, stirring until dissolved. Bring it all to a boil then remove from heat.

Step 5

Pour the syrup into sterilized jars. Cap with sterilized lids and process in a hot water bath for long-term storage. Or alternately, store in the fridge for 3-6 months. If you want to store this syrup longer without canning, then use a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of honey to juice.