This citrus syrup is bright yellow goodness in a jar. It is one of the best things I have ever made, vibrant, aromatic and endlessly versatile. Drizzle it over orange zest pancakes or add it into your latest holiday drink as a substitute for simple syrup. Citrus syrup is a tiny luxury that delivers big flavor.
What makes citrus syrup so special is its ability to capture the essence of the fruit at its freshest. Lemons have that rare combination of intense fragrance and bright acidity. When transformed into syrup, those qualities mellow just enough to become smooth and lush. The result is a flavour booster you can put on just about anything.
How to make citrus syrup
Making citrus syrup is a wonderfully easy process. It begins with zesting the lemon before squeezing the juice from them.
Add honey, water, juice and zest to a pot on the stove. Bring it to boil and let then simmer for fifteen minutes until the liquid is reduced to a thick golden syrup.
Leave to cool off a little bit before putting it into a heat safe jar. Do not close the lid of the jar until the liquid has cooled. After this you can put it in the fridge for as long as it lasts.
For further details and all measurements, see the recipe card below.
Substitutes
Try other citrus fruits, such as lime, oranges and grapefruits, for a slightly different citrus palate.
Freezable
This syrup does not freeze very well. Even though it is possible to freeze, when the syrup defrost the sugar crystals will change the consistency of the syrup and you will have to reheat it to get it back closer to what it was when you first made it. However, it does keep in the back of the fridge for several months. At the moment I have a jar in the back of my fridge that I made in the summer, almost six months ago!
Batch cooking tips
Make as much syrup as you have lemons, and keep in a well closed lid in the back of the fridge and it will last safely for at least three months. Even though I have kept a jar for much longer than that.
Variations
As I have mentioned above, I made this citrus syrup as a compliment to my orange zest pancakes however I have several version of pancakes that you can use to add a drizzle of citrus syrup over, why not try it over my saffron pancakes, or my apple and peanut butter pancakes.
For more citrus goodness, try my candied saffron oranges.
Another syrup I love during the cold winter months is my saffron syrup, so delicious!
Citrus syrup
Ingredients
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 100 g honey
- 100 ml water
Instructions
- Zest the lemon.
- Juice the lemon.
- Add all ingredients into a pot on the stove
- Let all ingredients slowly melt together in a pot.
- Bring mixture to a simmer and let simmer for up to 15 minutes until reduced to a thick golden syrup.
- Pour into a heat safe jar and let cool off before using.