Blueberry syrup is a sweet treat that is a delightful alternative to maple syrup. You can use it just as you would maple or breakfast syrup to top pancakes or waffles. It also has other uses. Fresh blueberry syrup can be used as a topping for simple cakes or ice cream with excellent results.
There are many recipes that detail how to make blueberry syrup. Most combine fresh or frozen blueberries (frozen may be cheaper), with corn syrup or sugar and water. The blueberries may be mashed, and some recommend placing them in a food processor or a blender to get smoother syrup at the end. Some people like to place a few whole berries in the syrup and reserve some of the blueberries used to add toward the end of the cooking process.
You’ll find complicated recipes for blueberry syrup that involve the use of a candy thermometer to make sure you reach certain temperatures. As you cook the sugar or corn syrup with the blueberries on a high heat, the syrup will start to thicken. Some people just recommend boiling the syrup for about five minutes to get it thick. Stirring constantly tends to be important as otherwise it’s quite easy to burn the sugar, which is a waste of good blueberries.
It may take some experimentation to find the perfect blueberry syrup recipe, but some people don’t have the time for these experiments. Fortunately, you can frequently find blueberry and other fruit syrups at your local grocery store. If you’re having trouble locating fruit syrups, check with a specialty store. Alternately you can order plenty of fruit syrups online for use to make special breakfasts or to make an everyday breakfast very special.
When you purchase blueberry syrup, you can serve it as is, or heat it briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop. If you want syrup with whole berries add some fresh or frozen berries during the heating process. Alternately, you can add berries directly to pancakes or waffles you are making. When really short on time, there are plenty of toaster waffles that have whole blueberries in them, though these tend not to be as good as homemade versions.
If you have lots of blueberries to use, there are recipes for making large batches of the syrup and canning it for use through the blueberry lean months. Of course, it’s pretty easy to make smaller, as-needed batches of blueberry syrup when you use frozen blueberries. These are available in local grocery stores year round.
