Blueberry Syrup for Naturally Fermented Sodas, Pancakes, Cocktails, and more

What You'll Need

Ingredients for the syrup
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • small saucepan
  • potato masher
  • stainless steel mesh strainer
Ingredients for the syrup
  • 3 cups blueberries (about 12 oz)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • juice of one lime or 2 Tbs bottled lime juice
For the soda
  • 1/3 cup of cooled blueberry syrup
  • 2 tablespoons strained ginger bug liquid
  • ice to serve

This quick blueberry syrup is a great way to infuse the bright flavor of fresh blueberries into a liquid form. Use the syrup on pancakes, ferment it to soda with a ginger bug, mix it with sparkling water, or in a cocktail with gin or bourbon.

 

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, and water.
put blueberries in saucepan
Stir to dissolve sugar, and cook over medium heat until the liquid begins to boil.
boil berries and sugarReduce heat and simmer. Use a potato masher to smash the berries and release their purple juices.
Simmer the mixture for 10-20 minutes. A longer cooking time will make a richer, thicker syrup, but the shorter length will give a brighter berry flavor. Taste and use your judgment.
mash berriesStrain the smashed berries from the syrup. They should have become paler, and much of their berry flavor released into the syrup. This pulp can still be used in smoothies, baked goods, or as a thickener for our fermented blueberry jam.
strain berriesAdd the fresh lime juice to the still-warm liquid, and set aside to cool.
add lime


Directions for Flavoring a Fermented Soda

To make a naturally fermented blueberry soda with the ginger bug, combine 1/3 cup of cooled blueberry syrup with 2 tablespoons strained ginger bug liquid in the bottom of a swing top pint bottle.
strain ginger bugstrain ginger bugAdd 2 teaspoons lime juice and fill the remaining space with unchlorinated water, leaving 1" headspace. add non chlorinated waterClose the swing top and allow to ferment at room temperature for 1 week, or until carbonated.
close until carbonated

Over to You

It’s part of our mission here at Mountain Feed to help you make delicious, sustainable, homemade food more often. Stop by and say hello on FacebookTwitterInstagram or Pinterest. Or, as always, you can do it the old-fashioned way and come by the store to speak with one of our in-house experts.