How to Make Simple Syrup

My husband and I drink a lot of iced tea in the summer. I brew tea in the sun several times a week during the hot months, so we always have it on hand.

To sweeten our tea, I make a simple syrup. I like my iced tea a little sweeter and with simple syrup we can each sweeten our tea to our taste.

To add some flavor, I infuse the syrup with herbs from my garden–pineapple sage, lemon verbena, and lavender. The herbal syrup makes iced tea incredibly flavorful and it’s so easy to make. My favorite is the lavender.

Use 1-3 teaspoons of the basic recipe or the herbal version per single serving. The syrup is a delicious way to sweeten tea, lemonade, mojitos, and other summertime drinks.

How to Make Simple Syrup (Basic Recipe)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Over medium heat, stir and dissolve sugar in the water in a small saucepan. Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and cool. Once cooled, store in the refrigerator. This recipe stores well in an 8 oz jelly jar. You can increase the volume of the syrup, just keep the 1:1 ratio.

How to Make Herbal Simple Syrup

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup packed fresh herb – mint, lavender, lemon verbena, or pineapple sage

Over medium heat on the stove, stir together the water, sugar, and herb in a small saucepan. Once sugar is dissolved, place a lid on the pan and remove from heat to steep for an hour. Allow the syrup to cool and pour through a sieve into the storage container. Store in the refrigerator. This recipe stores well in an 8 oz jelly jar.