Ginger, Lemon, Orange Infused Simple Syrup

This is a delightful add on to your kitchen repertoire. Delish in the long, hot days of summer, wonderful in hot tea. In short, it is a syrup which is ridiculously easy to make, takes about 5 minutes of cooking time and then to get full flavor, you let the flavorings steep in the syrup to give an incredible pop of flavor.

This is great in hot or iced tea (classic), lemonade, water or soda water and last but definitely not least, brushed on meat, poultry or fish to add a zesty flavor.

Don’t forget not to throw out (G-d forbid) the steeped ginger and citrus. I lay them over and around chicken to add incredible flavor and will post that another time.

So, take out your sugar and some water and a small pot, using one cup of each and put in pot. Note it looks cloudy. That’s fine.

Then, on a cutting board, peel the ginger and chunk it. Scrub the orange and the lemon well, and slice.

Doesn’t it already look yum? Next, put your sugar – water mix on the stove to cook. Stir once or twice with a spoon to help sugar dissolve and then leave it be. This goes really quickly so don’t step away. Bring it to the boil and lower it to burble on medium low for about 5 minutes till you see it’s thickening up slightly to a syrupy consistency. If you cannot tell, don’t worry. 5 minutes should def do it.

See what I mean? It looks thicker. Turn off the fire and take your prepared flavorings and VERY carefully (don’t burn yourself) place into the still very hot pot.

Looks yum already. The smell will drive you crazy, ummmm. Cover pot and leave it be for about 1/2 an hour. When you come back to it, mixture should be cooled. Remove the ginger and citrus and set aside in a bowl and cover to use with your chicken (recipe to come) or meat or fish. Pour the syrup into a container or glass jar and drizzle over your meat or fish, put a few teaspoons in your tea, hot or iced, or drizzle over some vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet. Heavenly.

Ginger, Lemon, Orange Infused Simple Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup white sugar (only!!! won’t work with brown sugar)
3 ounces (about 82 grams) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 small orange, scrubbed
1 small lemon, scrubbed

Take a smallish pot with a cover, large enough to hold the ingredients and pour the water and sugar in together. Stir briefly and set aside. Take the orange and lemon (peel on!!) and slice. Keep the citrus and ginger prepared and ready to roll.

Bring the water-sugar mixture to a boil and lower heat to medium low, stir once or twice with spoon till sugar dissolves. Let cook together to a syrupy consistency about five minutes. Immediately turn off heat and carefully (the mixture is extremely hot!! beware) place the chunks of ginger and slices of orange and lemon into the pot and cover. Let steep for about 30 minutes. The mixture should be cool by then. Remove the ginger and citrus and save to using with chicken, fish or meat. Pour the syrup into a container, glass is great but plastic is also fine. Keeps beautifully in the fridge and works wonderfully in water, soda water, hot or iced tea and ice cream as a drizzle. You won’t be sorry you made it 🙂 .