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Herbal syrups are a delicious way to enjoy the benefits of your herbs for months to come. They are easy to make and easy to take. Read on to learn how to make an herbal syrup.
This article focuses on an herbal preparation. See the Using Herbs article for more information about using herbs. And see the Herbal Preparations Overview and the other articles in the Read More section at the bottom of the article for other ideas for ways to preserve your herb harvest.
Although this article focuses on making syrups with herbs, both fresh and dried fruits can also be incorporated into your syrups.
Let's get right into it!
Materials Needed
To get started, you'll need the following on hand:
- Herbs
- Water
- Stockpot or saucepan
- Strainer (I use this mini-strainer) or colander
- Jar in which to store your syrup such as a mason jar
How to Make an Herbal Syrup
Alternate Methods
Before we get started, I want to note that there are a few different ways to make herbal syrup, and I am sharing my preferred method. This method produces a syrup that is stronger in both taste and herbal constituents.
If you prefer a syrup with a subtler taste and a lower concentration of constituents, you can make a normal infusion or decoction instead of the concentrated version in Step 1 below and then skip ahead to Step 2.
Similarly, if preserving the volatile oils in your syrup and minimizing the risk of losing them via steam evaporation is a priority, one of the following methods could also be used:
- Use normal proportions for a decoction (even if the herbs you use are normally prepared as an infusion) and follow the steps in How to Make an Herbal Decoction, including leaving the lid on the pot.
- Follow the decoction steps generally but increase the simmering time, perhaps by a few hours, or the amount of herb you use in proportion to the water. In this scenario, you would also leave the lid on the pot.
- Prepare a long infusion where the herbs steep for 2 to 24 hours. This method can work for both hot infusions and cold infusions, so it can also be a good choice for mucilaginous herbs like marshmallow and plantain. However, if you do a cold infusion (or if your hot infusion is cold by the time you strain it), it is best to use a sweetener other than honey since honey is much harder to mix with a cold liquid. Be extra sure that your long infusion is covered well to reduce the likelihood of bacterial contamination.
If you choose any of these options in lieu of Step 1, you can skip to Step 2 as well.
Step 1: Make a Concentrated Decoction
Add the herbs and water to the pot, using a proportion of about 1 tablespoon of herb(s) to 1 quart of water, and bring the water to a boil. Do not cover the pot unless you are using an alternate method, as discussed above.
Once the water has boiled, reduce it to a simmer.
Allow the mixture to continue simmering uncovered until it has reduced and reached your desired volume and concentration. See Step 2 for factors to consider when deciding about the volume.
Finally, strain the decoction using a strainer or colander.
Step 2: Pour the Strained Decoction Into the Jar
Pour the strained decoction (or infusion if you used the long-infusion method instead) into the glass jar. How full should you fill the jar? That depends on how long you need your syrup to last.
A syrup made with a 2:1 ratio of sweetener to liquid usually lasts for up to 1 year in the refrigerator or a few weeks at room temperature when made with honey or sugar. The refrigerated shelf life is closer to 8-12 months (so could still be up to a year but less likely) for syrups made with other sweeteners like molasses and maple syrup.
If you are making a quart of syrup, a 2:1 syrup would require about 10-11 ounces of strained decoction. On a mason jar, this would be about halfway between the 1 cup and 1.5 cup marks or halfway between the 200 and 300 mL marks on the other side of the jar.
A syrup made with a 1:2 ratio of sweetener to liquid usually lasts for 1-2 months in the refrigerator when made with honey or sugar and 3-6 weeks when made with other sweeteners. A syrup using this ratio should not be stored at room temperature.
A quart of 1:2 syrup would require about 21 ounces of strained decoction, which is right at the 2.5 cup / 500 mL mark on a mason jar.
Step 3: Sweeten and Stir
Next, add the sweetener to the jar. Honey is the most common sweetener for syrups. But maple syrup, agave nectar, cane sugar, coconut sugar, and molasses are also excellent options. As discussed in Step 2, the main purpose of the sweetener is to help with shelf life and preservation.
Fill the jar close to the top unless you have already pre-calculated your liquid amounts to where your syrup will not reach the near-top of the jar. I do not recommend filling the jar all the way to the tip-top to where it is almost overflowing, as this will prove messy when you stir.
Stir the mixture of liquid and sweetener until fully combined.
Step 4: Cool and Enjoy
Allow the syrup to cool completely. Then it is ready for you to enjoy!
Most people who intend to consume their herbal syrups for daily maintenance take it by the tablespoon once or twice per day. But use your discretion. See the Using Herbs article for more information.
Just to reiterate, 1:2 syrups should always be stored in the refrigerator, and they have a shelf life of about 1-2 months there. Honey syrups are usually closer to 2 months in my experience, but this depends on your fridge temperature, humidity, and other conditions.
And again, 2:1 syrups are best stored in the fridge as well, where they last up to a year. However, 2:1 syrups made with honey or sugar can be shelf stable for a few weeks at room temperature.
In addition to being enjoyed by the tablespoon, herbal syrups can be incorporated into a variety of fun food dishes, teas, and other beverages! Future Plant to Plate articles will explore these uses as well as recipes for extra-great herbal blends for syrups, so be sure to check back with us soon. If you enter your email address in the form below, we can also notify you via email when those articles come out, and you get a free garden planner on top of it:
Read More
Some herbs used in herbal syrups have other uses in herbal and culinary preparations. Read more in the simple uses articles for some common syrup herbs:
- Simple Uses for Peppermint
- Simple Uses for Roses
- Simple Uses for Lemon Balm
- Simple Uses for Thyme
- Simple Uses for Sage
And check out these related articles:
- Herbal Preparations Overview
- How to Make an Herbal Decoction
- How to Make a Hot Herbal Infusion
- How to Make a Cold Herbal Infusion