I’m a big consumer of herbal flavored teas, punches and
libations in the summer, it makes the ordinary just a bit special without much
extra fuss. Snipping some fresh herbs
from the garden to mull or steep into a drink is one way to go about it, but I
wanted some instant herbal flavorings that could be simply stirred in. Making herbal syrups is a common practice
from ancient times--honey and sugar were used to extract and preserve the
flavor and medicinal properties of herbs.
Making herbal syrups is super easy and another great way to preserve the
joys of summer for the rest of the year!
I picked my herbs at the peak of their growth, the end of
August when my garden was overflowing.
Here is a photo of my haul. It
includes, clockwise from the bottom: thyme, lime basil, anise hyssop, cinnamon
basil and lemon balm.
Rinse the herbs thoroughly with many changes of water, to
flush out any bugs hiding in the nooks and crannies.
Next make a “simple
syrup” which is a mixture of equal parts water and sugar, heated slightly so the
sugar completely dissolves in the water.
This is a common technique for making flavorings for tea and punches. Sangria is a prime example of one such drink. Usually the ratio for a simple syrup is one part sugar to one
part water, but I used two parts sugar and one part water, because I wanted
something a little stronger for the herbs.
To make the syrup, gently heat your sugar and water mixture in
a pot on the stove until the sugar dissolves.
Do not boil or cook your syrup on high heat for a long time as sugar can
burn and make a big black mess on the bottom of the pan, or caramelize, which
will interfere with the herb flavor.
Add your herbs and allow them to steep in the hot syrup. I steeped mine for about ten minutes. Strain out the herbs using a colander lined
with cheesecloth.
If you want to can the mixture for shelf-storage, sterilize
canning jars to hold the syrup. The syrup will also keep for several months in the
refrigerator if you don’t want to can it. Be on the lookout for mold forming in the syrup or on the
jar or lid, which will mean your syrup is no longer safe to use. To seal the jars, use
the boiling water bath method for ten minutes.
This is not necessary if storing in the fridge.
I made two types of syrup, lemon balm/thyme and anise hyssop/cinnamon
basil. I put them in small canning jars
to give as gifts and to put out a tea parties.
The syrups can be used to flavor drinks such as wine, tea, fruit juice and soda. They can also be used as flavorings for icing, baked goods and fruit salads.
I've been doing a monthly parent/child program at the Arboretum called "Stories in the Garden." Last month, the book was called, "The Ugly Vegetables." It's a book by Grace Lin, about a Chinese family and their garden greens. The
neighbors have a flower garden, and in the end, the two families share
the plants from their garden, one family brings the floral centerpiece,
and the other family brings soup made from the greens. Great story
about sharing cultures! 
For the program, I had different greens on hand for the kids to taste and use in a bouquet. 
We collected some flowers and greens from the garden. Then we made crayon prints with a few of the smaller leaves. Meanwhile, we chopped up some of the greens and added them to canned chicken soup that I had simmering on a hot plate. 
