Preserve some of your fresh rosemary with this aromatic rosemary simple syrup! Add it to your favourite desserts and cocktails for a herbaceous twist or make some to give to friends as gifts. For a delicious simple drink, make a rosemary lemonade with syrup to taste and juice of a lemon, topped off with sparkling water.
If you love floral, herbal flavours, also try my 3 ingredient lavender simple syrup or make your own herbal vinegar with rosemary or a mix of herbs.
Ingredients
You need just 3 ingredients. Different types of sugar will make for different types of syrup, read more on that below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Sugar: use plain white sugar for the most pure tasting rosemary syrup. For a slightly deeper flavour use cane sugar, and if you want to go further, you can use brown sugar.
- Rosemary: fresh rosemary will give the best, brightest flavour to the syrup. I don't recommend using dried.
How to Make Rosemary Syrup
Step 1: add the sugar, water, and rosemary to a saucepan.
Step 2: bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a minute. Steep for half an hour before straining and storing.
Top Tips
- Don't over-cook it: you only need to dissolve the sugar, and then the syrup steeps to get that nice rosemary flavour. Cooking it for a longer time can make it have a bitter undertone.
- Use a clean jar: the syrup will last longer in the fridge if you use a sterilized glass jar to store it in. Running it through a hot dishwasher is probably enough for this recipe, but you can use the oven method if preferred.
- Watch carefully: you don't want to over boil the syrup and end up with caramel, or worse, burnt sugar in your pan and on your stove top. It only needs to cook for a minute to stay at the stove during that time.
How to Store
Storage: rosemary simple syrup will keep for about a month in a sealed container in the fridge. I recommend storing in a sterilized glass container for the longest shelf life.
Freezing: try freezing the syrup in an ice cube tray and adding to drinks as a cube!
FAQ
How long does simple syrup last?
A plain simple syrup can last for up to six months, but usually any with additions (like rosemary) will keep for right around a month.
What happens if you boil simple syrup too long?
A plain simple syrup will simply reduce down a bit too much and make for a more concentrated sweetness. With additions like herbs, though, boiling too long can lead to a bitter and unpleasant flavour.
What does rosemary syrup taste like?
It really tastes the way rosemary smells. A little woodsy and slightly evergreen, with a hint of citrus.
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Recipe
Rosemary Simple Syrup
Equipment
- 1 Small saucepan
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¼ cup rosemary leaves fresh
Instructions
- Combine water, sugar, and rosemary leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute, uncovered.1 cup water, 1 cup white sugar, ¼ cup rosemary leaves
- Remove from the heat and let syrup steep for 30 minutes. Once it has steeped, strain it and transfer to a clean glass jar. Store in the fridge for up to a month.