Recipe: Homemade Berry or Cherry Syrup (canned, refrigerated or frozen, USDA recipe)

BERRY OR CHERRY SYRUP

"Blueberries, cherries, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, and marionberries are easily made into toppings for use on ice cream and pastries."

6 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries or other fruit of choice
6 3/4 cups granulated sugar*

Wash, stem and cap the fruit and crush in a saucepan. Heat to boiling and simmer until soft, 5 to 10 minutes.

Strain through a colander and drain until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, wash 5 pint or 9 half-pint jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.

Strain the collected juice through a double layer of wet cheesecloth set in a wire mesh strainer or jelly bag. Discard the dry pulp. You should have about 4 1/2 to 5 cups of juice.

Combine the juice with the sugar in a large saucepan, bring to boil, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat, skim off foam and ladle the hot syrup into one hot jar at a time, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

*You'll note that this recipe calls for quite a bit of sugar, which gives it more of a syrup consistency. If you're after a lighter version, cut back on the sugar and extend the boiling time to 5 minutes.

Makes 5 pints or 9 half-pints

OR, TO REFRIGERATE OR FREEZE:
Alternately, simply pour the syrup into clean jars and refrigerate up to 6 weeks. Or pour into ice cube trays and freeze, then pop the cubes into freezer bags and return to freezer for up to 12 months.

Adapted from source: The Complete Guide To Home Canning by The U.S. Department of Agriculture. As published in the Oregonian FoodDay, 1996