Amazing Apple Syrup

Apple lovers, get ready to turn your surplus apples into a delightful treat! This homemade apple syrup is not only sweet and sticky but also a fantastic way to make the most of your apple bounty and using up any windfalls and slightly imperfect apples you might have lying around. It is a great way to minimize food waste and create a delicious, versatile syrup that’s perfect for various culinary adventures. Whether you drizzle it over pancakes or ice cream or mix it into drinks it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

Apples (4 kilos or more) or Apple Juice (2 litres or more)

Sugar (Optional, brown, white or cane)

Ground Cinnamon or Cardamom (Optional)

What Apples to Use

This recipe is perfect for those apples that might not win any beauty contests. Bruised, bitten, pecked or just plain ugly. In fact, the less-than-perfect apples are ideal for making this apple syrup. While you can use most apple varieties, try to use mostly ripe apples. The sweetest apples will yield the sweetest syrup. Cooking apples, on the other hand, won’t produce as sweet a syrup, but you can sweeten it with sugar if you should like. Under-ripe apples, contain a lot of pectin, which is used as a natural thickener, and if using, your syrup will be very tart and quite thick, bordering on marmalade.

You’ll need at least 2 litres of apple juice for this recipe, which equals about 4 kilos of apples. Because the boiling and juicing takes a while, not to mention the cleaning, I always make up a big batch once a year, instead of many smaller batches. It saves clean up time, and keeps my son very happy as this is his favourite pancake and ice cream topping by far!

Juicing the Apples

First things first, you’ll need apple juice. The easiest is to use a fruit juicer. For every 4 kilograms of apples, you’ll get approximately 2 liters of apple juice, which will eventually reduce to around 300ml of pure apple syrup. If you don’t have a juicer, see freezing-tip below.

Wash the apples and cut off any brown bits. there’s no need to peel or core. The juice will foam quite a bit, so let the juice sit for 5 minutes so the foam separates from the juice, then use a spoon to scoop it off and discard. Next, pour the juice through muslin or fine mesh sieve into a wide saucepan. If you get some foam in the pot, you can skim it off when the syrup cooks.

If you have lots of apples, you can juice them and freeze the juice for making syrup later. And if you are really stuck for time and you are afraid the apples will go off, cut them into chunks or quarters and freeze in bags. To make juice from frozen apples, simply place in a bowl to defrost, mush them up a bit and drain through a sieve. Voila!

Simmering the Apple Syrup

Next, bring the juice to a simmer and keep it simmering over medium heat. Stir it occasionally and use a spoon to scrape off the foam that accumulates around the sides of the pan. The wider the pan, the faster your syrup will be ready because more water can evaporate.

If you prefer sugar free syrup, simmer for about an hour, in which time the juice should have reduced considerably. To test if the syrup is ready, pour a spoonful of syrup onto a plate and pop in the fridge to cool for a few minutes. Run the back of a spoon through the syrup. If it stays separated or joins together slowly, it is ready. If it runs together fast, leave to simmer for another few minutes to thicken before repeating the test.

Be cautious not to overcook it, as it will become too thick. If too thick, add a little bit of water to dilute, boil, test and then bottle when ready.

If you prefer a sweeter version, you can add sugar after about 30-40 minutes of simmering. Sugar will thicken the syrup, so you need to check for readiness after about 45 minutes. Add sugar to taste.

Add cinnamon or cardamom to taste and stir in towards the end of simmering.

Bottling and Storing Apple Syrup

You can bottle your homemade apple syrup in a clean, warm bottle or jar. Heat it in the oven (80 degrees Celcius) for ten minutes before bottling and replace the lid immediately after pouring in the apple syrup. Store cold and dark, ideally in the refrigerator or cold pantry. It will keep for several months up to about a year.

Uses for Apple Syrup

A delicious natural treat for all, homemade apple syrup is also a fantastic substitute for honey for those with allergies to honeybee products or vegans. Drizzle it over pancakes, homemade waffles, and Ice-creams or swirl it through natural yogurt. You can also mix it with water or other drinks, or use it to add a touch of tart sweetness to dressings and sauces.

For more Apple recipes, check out: Apple Crumble with Honey, Homemade Apple Sauce from Windfalls, Honey Baked Apples with Nuts and Apple Fruit Leather

Happy cooking!

Hanna Bäckmo

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