Use A Spoon To Instantly Transform Homemade Blueberry Syrup

A stack of pancakes becomes a dreamy dessert when drizzled with homemade blueberry syrup. And while you may think that assembling a homespun syrup sounds like a long job that involves a selection of sugar thermometers and bubbling saucepans, it's actually an easy process that's far breezier than making a fruit preserve. Simply add fresh blueberries, sugar, and a squeeze of lemon juice to a pan and heat gently until thickened. However, the one trick that will instantly transform your syrup from simple to scrumptious is to press the berries with the back of a wooden spoon to help release their juice.

Closely related to cranberries and bilberries, blueberries are packed full of antioxidants and fiber. They're also 85% water, which makes them a fantastic fruit to turn into syrup. Pressing your warmed blueberries with a spoon splits open their tender skins as they cook, which releases more of their purple juice. This gentle pressure also helps to eke out much liquid as possible from the skins, which is ideal if you want to discard the paper-thin rinds after straining your prepared syrup. As the juice spreads across the base of the pan, it provides just enough liquid for the sugar to dissolve into, creating a sticky syrup with a loose consistency that's perfect for pouring over pancakes or mixing into a blueberry flavored summer coffee.

The same spoon trick works for frozen blueberries too (just allow them to heat up a bit and soften before compressing them to release more of their indigo-colored juice). In fact, using frozen fruit to make syrup is better than using fresh alternatives because the thawed berries release more moisture once thawed, which encourages them to cook down evenly and quickly in the simmering liquid. Moreover, frozen blueberries are more colorful than fresh because the freezing process enhances the presentation of the antioxidant anthocyanin that lends them their characteristic hue. While frozen blueberries have less Vitamin C than a fresh punnet, they taste equally as good when cooked down with a generous helping of sugar. Plus you can take a small amount from the freezer and make an individual portion of syrup with ease instead of finding ways to use up fresh blueberries before they go off.

The textured consistency of homemade blueberry syrup pairs perfectly with crispy waffles, soft serve ice cream, and freshly baked cakes. However, if you prefer a smoother syrup you can strain it to be left with a glossy, aromatic syrup without the bits. An awesome way to use up leftover blueberry syrup is to blend it into lemonade or use it as a delicious filling for cakes. You could even stir it through whipped cream to make a streaked fruity topping for a berry pie.