It's Thursday, May 28th and I just popped outside to harvest some Eucalyptus Wormwood and Mugwort, before the end of the biodynamic 'leaf' period. Do you work with plants and herbs?
When I came in, I rinsed off the bottles that I had finished yesterday.
I'm so pleased to have tried this - it was a new experiment for me! Cynthia came by yesterday evening, as I was outside in the makeshift canning process. Can you picture it?
Me, with my induction burner cooking down the syrup to ladle into bottles and jars. It was way too hot to process inside!
These were some of the bottles I repurposed and I love that they are green - this is the traditional color of 'Waldmeister Sirop,' which is a prevalent flavor in Germany.
I opted not to add the coloring - natural suits me just fine!
Are you familiar with Sweet Woodruff? Maybe you have it in your garden?
It's a sweet little plant. For the syrup, you have to harvest the leaves, before the little white flowers appear.
There was still plenty that had not yet blossomed...I harvested about 8 cups for this recipe.
The small, delicate leaves and flowers are fragrant and it was lovely to sit outside picking enough to fill the bowl. I love listening to the birdsong and hearing the fat bumblebees buzzing around!
For the syrup, I boiled 4 quarts of water with 6 cups of non-GMO evaporated cane juice until it was dissolved. I added 2 cups of organic lemon juice. Then I turned the heat off and added the 8 cups of Sweet Woodruff leaves.
The color of the leaves changes from bright green to olive green, as the flavor diffuses into the syrup.
It's supposed to sit overnight - or up to 2 days for a stronger flavor.
I let it sit for a day and a half. Then I poured it all through some cheesecloth and returned it to the pan to bring to a boil, reducing the heat to simmer gently for a few more minutes.
'Waldmeister' is one flavor that takes me right back to my childhood.
Is there a smell or flavor that does that for you?
Is there a certain feeling or emotion that accompanies it?
I ladled the syrup into the sterilized bottles and jars. I heard them pop as they cooled. There was a little left over for Cynthia to taste - and for me to mix into some kombucha. I love incorporating my garden into drinks and food for friends and guests. Cheers!