Berry Syrup

Something that we've been loving at our house lately is homemade berry syrup. We eat a lot of waffles and pancakes and german pancakes, and berry syrup is a nice change from the usual, sugary maple syrup we put on top. I like that I can make it with as much or as little sugar as I want. I am always trying to reduce the amount of sugar we eat, and this is a good way to have something sweet, but not too sweet.

Berry Syrup

1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 to 1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
2 cups berry mix, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of your berries

Bring all ingredients to a boil on medium high heat. Boil vigorously for about 5 minutes (careful, it will splatter), or until the fruit has broken down and is very soft. Then blend with an immersion blender, or mash with a spoon. I use our bean masher, and I keep it sort of chunky. Serve warm on top of your favorite waffles or pancakes with some freshly whipped cream.

(I like whipping my own cream. I think it tastes better, and it allows me to control the amount of sugar here, too. I use a small half pint carton with just a tablespoon or so of sugar and a little vanilla. I like it sort of runny, so I only whip it until it is nice and heavy.)

Bonus: Berry syrup is super delicious served over vanilla ice cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon.