I’m on the cusp of forty and find myself thinking of this year as “almost-forty.” The milestone feels different from the decade birthdays that arrive with a celebratory air; the year before a big birthday often feels like a tolling bell. Maybe that’s just me, but it made this summer feel extra meaningful.
For my almost-forty gift, my family gave me a simple thing that made me happier than I expected: time together. The boys and I had planned to visit our local blueberry patch on opening day with the usual ambition to make a dent in our annual goal of a hundred pounds. My husband surprised me by taking the morning off to join us. He works long hours, so him coming along was an unexpected and treasured gift—he’d never seen the boys and I in full picking mode.
We loaded the van with every mixing bowl and colander we own, a wagon for the quarter-mile trek from the parking area, hats, water, and cash. At the patch we tied buckets to our waists and went to work. In about twenty minutes my eldest emptied a full bucket into a colander, to my husband’s amazement. The other boys followed quickly. My husband was stunned by how fast they picked. We filled every container we’d brought—a three-gallon food-safe bucket, an enameled wash pan, four large mixing bowls, two colanders, and a big Tupperware bowl—and took everything to the weigh station.
The moment became even more special when the man at the scale waved at the boys and me and told my husband, “These are our champion pickers. I remember the first year they came. They picked until the boys were tired. They slept under that pine tree and your wife just kept picking. We had never had anyone pick one hundred pounds in one day before.”
If I’m remembered for anything, being good at berry picking is a delightful legacy. That the man at the weigh station offered an unsolicited compliment about my picking made the morning even sweeter—cream on the berries, so to speak.
With that bounty, of course we made jam, pies, cobblers and crisps, but one of my favorite uses is Blueberry Lime Syrup. It’s adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: I swap lime juice and zest for the recipe’s lemon, which adds a brighter, slightly sweeter note I prefer. You can use lemon if you like, but the lime version is our household favorite.
We drizzle the syrup over pancakes and waffles, spoon it on French toast, and make a simple Blueberry Soda by mixing syrup with chilled seltzer over ice. It’s an easy, refreshing alternative to bottled sodas and the kids love it.
How fresh should your berries be?
If your blueberries are picked straight from the bush, consider letting them rest in the refrigerator for a few days before making the syrup. Fresh-picked blueberries contain a lot of natural pectin and can create a much thicker syrup, sometimes even fully gelled. Allowing them to mellow a bit helps produce the pourable syrup you probably expect.
Wait—my syrup looks like a gel!
Don’t worry. Blueberries have natural pectin, and sometimes the syrup sets more than intended. To loosen it, simply run a fork or a small whisk through the jar to break it up. It will return to a sauce-like consistency and still taste fantastic.
Blueberry Syrup for Pancakes and Homemade Soda | Make Ahead Mondays
Rebecca Lindamood
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Ingredients
For the Blueberry Lime Syrup:
- 8 cups fresh blueberries *See Note
- 6 cups water divided
- 1 tablespoon lime zest green part only
- 3 cups granulated sugar raw sugar works, too
- 1/4 cup lime juice
For the Blueberry Lime Soda:
- Chilled Blueberry Lime Syrup
- Chilled plain or berry seltzer water
- Ice
Instructions
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In a large stainless-steel stockpot, lightly squash the berries to break them up, using a potato masher if needed. Add 2 cups of the water and the lime zest. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
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Line a colander or sieve with two or three layers of cheesecloth and set it over a deep bowl. If you have a super-fine cheesecloth (butter muslin), one layer is enough. Scoop the boiled blueberry mixture into the cheesecloth and let it drain undisturbed for 2 hours. After that time, place a plate with a light weight on top and let it drip for another 15 minutes. Do not squeeze the cheesecloth; you want juice, not pulp.
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Wash out the stockpot to prepare for the next step.
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Stir the remaining water and the sugar in the clean stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue boiling until the mixture reaches 230°F (use a candy thermometer). When it reaches 230°F, stir in the blueberry juice and return to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in the lime juice.
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Ladle the hot syrup into sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims with a cloth dipped in vinegar, apply new two-piece lids fingertip-tight, and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes with jars covered by water. After processing, turn off the heat and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely. Label and store in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Once opened, refrigerate and use within about three weeks.
To Make Blueberry Lime Soda
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Fill a glass with ice, add 2–5 tablespoons of chilled Blueberry Lime Syrup to taste, top with chilled seltzer, stir gently and serve immediately.
Notes
You will need a thermometer to test the sugar mixture; 230°F is higher than water’s regular boiling point. The mixture will darken slightly and bubbles will become thicker and slower to pop as it approaches the soft-ball stage. This step can take longer than expected, so be patient—the result is worth it.
Nutritional information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This post originally published August 5, 2013. Post notes and recipe updated August 12, 2016.