- 2
- 5 mins
- 10 mins
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar*
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
- Garnish: fresh basil sprigs
Preparation
Step 1
1. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes.
4. Pour liquid through a wire-mesh strainer into a cruet or airtight container, discarding basil.
5. Cover and chill 4 hours. Garnish, if desired. Syrup may be stored in refrigerator up to 1 month.
*3/4 cup sugar/no-calorie sweetener may be substituted. For testing purposes only, we used Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking.
Lemon Balm Simple Syrup: Substitute 1 cup loosely packed fresh lemon balm leaves for fresh basil. Prepare recipe as directed. Garnish with fresh lemon balm leaves, if desired.
Mint Simple Syrup: Substitute 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves for fresh basil. Prepare recipe as directed. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, if desired.
Rosemary Simple Syrup: Substitute 4 fresh rosemary sprigs for fresh basil. Prepare recipe as directed. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired.