Fresh Raspberry Syrup

I have been experimenting with jams this year. I figured I better get good at making them since I am growing so much fruit and I don’t want any of it going to waste. Mostly I have been focusing on thickening these cooked fruits without using boxed pectin. It turns out many fruits have natural pectin and citrus especially in their peels and in the white pith. Apples and mangos and other fruits have natural pectin as well. They key to accessing this pectin is to soak the fruit overnight to draw it out, and soften the fruit and skins to release more of it during the cooking process.

This raspberry syrup was so easy to make and is like one of those fresh raspberry sauces that I have had in expensive restaurants serve with cheesecake or a flourless chocolate cake. I first soaked the peels of two oranges in one cup of filtered water for 3 days. I think if I were to turn this sauce into a raspberry jam I would soak the peels in two cups of water for the 3 days and then cook it to reduce by half, maybe a half hour, before continuing with this recipe. I thing by doing the cooking it would thicken this up to a jam. I am going to give it a try.

After soaking the peels drain the orange water into a nonreactive pot. Add 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries to the pot as well and cook it on medium heat for a half hour.

When the half hour has passed pour the mixture through a sieve into a clean pot. Press the berries down into the sieve with the back of a spoon to squeeze as much juice out of them as possible.

Add a half cup of sugar plus two extra tablespoons and cook this mixture on medium heat for another twenty minutes or so until it reduces down to about a cup worth. Cool this for about 15-minutes and transfer to a jar to finish cooling. Keep this refrigerated until ready to use.

This was so fresh tasting just bursting with a concentrated raspberry flavor. I paired it with my little lavender goat cheesecakes. Tomorrow I am going to make myself a fresh raspberry soda with it! Raspberries are natures natural aspirin so this would be wonderful for sleep too maybe on some Greek yogurt.