If you’re on a spring walk in Switzerland you are very likely to come across those elegant waldmeister plants on every corner. They grow in meadows and in bright forest spots. They are most fragrant when collected before they are blooming but if some have flowers on them that does no harm.
If you like to collect things outdoors and cook them this is just the thing for you. The flavor of the syrup is more herb-y than flowery when compared to other syrups. And it’s addictive 🙂
If you live outside of Europe I am sorry to tell you that apparently waldmeister doesn’t grow there.
Waldmeister syrup
Prep Time5 minsCook Time10 minsResting time1 dTotal Time1 d 15 mins
Course: DrinksCuisine: EuropeanKeyword: forage, spring, syrup
Servings: 3 bottles containing 6 deciliters each
Ingredients
- 150 g fresh waldmeister preferrably not blooming yet
- 1.3 liters water
- 620 g sugar
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Let your freshly collected waldmeister lie in a tray for a little so all the bugs come out. Put the bugs in outdoors and rinse the waldmeister thoroughly.
- In a large pan boil the water with the sugar and lemon. If your lemon is not uncoated (in wax or something that is done for longer freshness) rinse and scrub it well under hot water first to remove any coating.
- When the water boils add the waldmeister and remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let it sit at least overnight or up to 2 days for more flavor.
- Boil water in another large pan and add your glass bottles and lids to the boiling water for a few minutes so that they are sterile and your syrup will keep well.
- Strain the syrup through a sieve or a fine cloth so that no little pieces remain in the liquid. Then reheat the syrup but don’t boil it. Fill it into the bottles using a clean funnel while it’s still hot.
