Raspberry Syrup

Did I mention that I am drowning in raspberries? Not a bad thing, I suppose. I thought I would try my hand at a raspberry syrup, mainly for flavouring lemonade this summer. This is pretty serious stuff and little goes a long way as you can see by the deep red colour--a spoonful or two will flavour a tall glass of lemonade. It is not too sweet and still maintains the punch of a fresh raspberry. It is rather thin, so if you want to drizzle it over pancakes, cook some of the syrup with water, sugar, and a thickening agent (arrowroot, perhaps). I made a lot, so half the recipe if you so desire.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 4.5 cups
- 6 cups raspberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups sugar

METHOD
1. Crush berries in a saucepan, add water and lemon juice. Bring to bubbling over med-hi heat and cook for 1 min, stirring constantly.
2. Pass mixture through a fine sieve, using the back of a spoon to get all the liquid out.
3. Place liquid back in the saucepan and add sugar. Bring to boiling and cook for 1 min, stirring constantly (be careful not to over boil).
4. Transfer into a glass jar and cool.

NOTE: if you pour the syrup into a sterilized canning jar and seal, it is hot enough to create a vacuum seal. You might want to seal several smaller jars to use throughout the summer.