How to Make Blueberry Syrup with Honey

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Homemade Blueberry Syrup with Honey

Did you know that you can make your own homemade blueberry syrup with honey? This is a great way to preserve extra blueberries without added white sugar. Using only a few simple ingredients, you can make this delicious topping to add to morning pancakes or even that afternoon ice cream snack.  This blueberry syrup topping is sure to please everyone.

The blueberry is one of nature’s most celebrated types of fruit. Full of nutritious antioxidants, blueberries are added to every type of dish imaginable. 

Only fresh for a short time, we want to store them in the best way possible to maximum use of our crop. And thankfully, blueberries freeze well and are available in the freezer section year-round.

Blueberries and Honey Bees

Living in upstate South Carolina, I have maintained a few blueberry bushes for years. Well before I became a beekeeper, my bushes made a small harvest each season.

Once I become a beekeeper, the pollination services of thousands of honey bees contributed greatly to the crop yield. Now, I have enough berries to eat, freeze and some to share.

Blueberry bushes love acid soil – that’s good because we have plenty of that.  They are relatively easy to care for and grow.

You will find several different varieties of berry bushes. Some are even friendly to container gardening.

While birds can be a problem, most gardeners are able to keep the birds at bay until they can gather some of the crop. I’ve found it helps if you are quick to harvest ripe berries, before the birds have a chance to get used to a free food source.

In areas with major bird problems, you can buy netting to cover your blueberry bushes.

Consider planting a few of blueberry bushes in your bee friendly garden. Then, you can have fresh fruit every year.

Bringing in the Blueberry Harvest

My harvest begins in mid July and continues until the end of the month.  By the time I have harvested most of what I want – the birds have found them.  They do the cleanup. 

Thankfully, even though we have a lot of birds in the area – they have never been a major problem with my berries. 

If you have bushes and start to see the birds harvesting – get out there and grab those ripe blueberries pronto.

The only aggravating thing about harvesting blueberries is their size. While they are small and easy to handle – they are small and it takes a bit of time to pick them. Also, they will leave beautiful blue stains on everything – so keep that in mind.

Once my freezer is stocked with frozen berries and a few jars of blueberry jam is in the pantry, I start thinking about homemade blueberry syrup.

Being a beekeeper, I appreciate the healthful properties of raw honey.  Using honey in recipes is a favorite way to add extra sweetness without using processed sugar.

Yield: 15 oz

Homemade Blueberry Syrup with Honey

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Sweet, yummy and good for you too! This Blueberry Syrup with Honey Recipe is sure to please. With a few basic ingredients you can create a delicious berry topping to add to bread, yogurt, pancakes or ice cream.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup of water
• 3/4 cup of honey

Instructions

1. Add blueberries and water to a medium size sauce pan over low heat.  Once the contents are warm and start to bubble, gently mash the berries with a slotted spoon or potato masher.  This helps release the berry juice from the fruit.  Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
   
   
   
2. While the berries are simmering, zest your lemon.  Using a vegetable peeler and peel 6 ¾” strips of lemon peel, then juice the remaining lemon.
   
   
   
3. Remove the blueberry mixture from heat and let strain through a sieve into a heatproof bowl.  Using a large spoon to gently mash any remaining fruit skins and solids.  Throw out the solids.
   
   
   
4. Pour the berry juice back into the saucepan. Add your honey, lemon zest and all of the lemon juice except for 2 tablespoons to the blue berry juice.
   
   
   
5. Bring contents to a boil of medium heat until the mixture reaches 225 degrees F on your candy thermometer or you see it noticeable thicken.  Stir constantly (takes 8-12 minutes)
   
   
   
6. Add the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (that you reserved earlier) to the berry mixture and cook an additional minute.
   
   
   
7. Remove the mixture from heat source, throw away the zest pieces and let the mixture cool.
   
   
   
8. While still warm but not hot, pour your blueberry syrup with honey into clean jars.  Cover and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
   
   

Notes

*Blueberry juice is delightful but can be messy. Keep a damp rag on hand to wash up spills quickly before they stain.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1 oz
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 30gProtein: 1g

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Follow Beekeeper Charlotte @ Carolina Honeybees for more fun ways to use products from the hive.

Conclusion:

If you want to make a larger amount and have some on hand, consider canning your recipe. These sealed jars of blueberry syrup with honey will last much longer. Use tiny jars and you have some wonderful gifts ideas!