Selfsufficientish.com

Seems to be the fashion to have flavoured syrups on puddings/ in cocktails/ in coffee etc, I have just made two experimental batches, one a simple vanilla syrup which is nice, the other using dried wild fennel seeds i foraged last year. The fennel one is basically an aniseed syrup almost exactly like aniseed balls. Very nice.

Sounds very nice and a good alternative to cream or custard. Do you have a recipe please?

Zoe

It's just depends how light or heavy a syrup you want, I did around 500g sugar to 900ml water, heat to simmering point and leave 5-10 mins stirring occasionally until all sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear.

Removed from heat, pour syrup into heatproof jug or jar, add your flavouring, I pounded the fennel seed in a pestle and motar before adding, and with vanilla just cut two vanilla pods in half.

Leave for 12-24 hours, strain through muslin or a clean tea towel.

Should keep ok for a long time depending on how much sugar you use, a very light syrup might have a short shell life, a heavier sugar syrup should be fine for ages.

You could always add some liquer if you wanted an alcoholic flavoured syrup for cocktails.

i make syrups all the time from what ever i got to hand
from fruits wild berries and herb and spices
as long as you got 500gms of sugar to 1 litre of what ever liqulid you using and boil for a couple of minute it alway keeps from one year to the next
if you want a heavy syrup alway good to add some glocouse as it will stop it crytalizing