Fruit syrup
Blackberry Syrup
A quick simmer, a gentle mash and a fine strain. Inky, tart and seed-free for Brambles and lemonade.
- 26 min total
- 1¾ cups410 ml
- Keeps 2 weeks
Quick answer
Blackberry syrup is blackberries simmered briefly in 1:1 simple syrup, mashed, steeped and strained through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Simmer 2 cups berries with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water for 5 minutes, steep 15 minutes, strain, add lemon and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Blackberries sit between raspberries and blueberries: sturdy enough for a short simmer, but a hard boil makes them jammy and harsh. Five minutes on the stove, a mash and a steep off the heat give you all the color without the cooked taste.
Wild, farmers' market or frozen berries all work. The one job that matters is straining: blackberry seeds are small and gritty, so use a fine-mesh strainer.
Tastesdark berrytartearthy
The recipe
Blackberry Syrup
Ingredients for 1¾ cups410 ml
You’ll need: small saucepan, masher, fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, swing-top bottlesmall saucepan, masher, fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, swing-top bottle
Method
-
Combine
Add the blackberries, sugar and water to a small saucepan.
2 cups290 g blackberries1 cup200 g granulated sugar1 cup240 ml water
-
Simmer
Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook gently for 5 minutes, until the berries soften and the liquid turns deep purple.
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Mash and steep
Crush the berries lightly with a potato masher, then take the pan off the heat and let it steep for 15 minutes.
-
Strain
Pour through a fine-mesh strainer. Stir the pulp to help it drain, but stop before you're pushing purée through; that's where gritty seeds and cloudiness come from. Line the strainer with damp cheesecloth for a perfectly clear syrup.
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Finish
Stir in the lemon juice, let it cool, then bottle and refrigerate.
1 tbsp1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Storage. Refrigerate in a sealed bottle for up to 2 weeks. Freeze extra in ice-cube trays for up to 3 months, a handy way to keep a short wild-blackberry season going all year.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 28 kcal, 7.3 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Bramble
2 oz (60 ml) gin, 1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice and ½ oz (15 ml) blackberry syrup. Shake, strain over crushed ice, then drizzle another ½ oz (15 ml) syrup over the top so it bleeds down through the ice.
Full recipe and historyBlackberry lemonade
1 oz (30 ml) syrup, 1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice and 4 oz (120 ml) cold water over ice.
Blackberry bourbon smash
2 oz (60 ml) bourbon, ¾ oz (22 ml) lemon juice, ¾ oz (22 ml) blackberry syrup and a few mint leaves. Shake and strain over crushed ice.
Blackberry iced tea
1 oz (30 ml) per 8 oz (240 ml) glass of black iced tea.
Blackberry ginger fizz
1 oz (30 ml) syrup and ½ oz (15 ml) lime juice topped with 5 oz (150 ml) ginger beer. Add 1½ oz (45 ml) vodka for a blackberry mule.
Yogurt and desserts
Drizzle over Greek yogurt, cheesecake, panna cotta or pancakes.
Classic drinks with Blackberry syrup
Gear for this recipe
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Masher
Crushes berries and stone fruit right in the pan so fruit syrups pull out more color and flavor. Faster than a muddler.
Best for Big-batch fruit syrups
Otis Classic 16 oz Swing-Top Glass Bottles (6-pack)
Best for Storing and gifting any syrup
Cuisinart Fine Mesh Stainless Strainers (set of 3)
Best for Every infused or fruit syrup
Regency Wraps Ultra Fine Cheesecloth (9 sq ft)
Best for Crystal-clear syrups
More gear for this recipe (2)
Ellie's Best Pro Quality Nut Milk Bag (12 x 12 in)
Best for Orgeat and pulpy fruit syrups
Cuisinart Chef's Classic 1.5 qt Stainless Saucepan with Lid
Best for Every stovetop syrup
Tips for the best batch
- Wild blackberries are often smaller and tarter than cultivated ones. Taste after straining and add a little more sugar or lemon to balance.
- Rinse berries just before using, not before storing; wet blackberries mold fast.
- Blackberry stains. Use a stainless or enameled pan and rinse the strainer and masher right away.
- Pick out any red, underripe berries. They make the syrup sour and a little bitter.
Variations
Blackberry-sage
Add 4–5 fresh sage leaves for the steep. Excellent with bourbon or gin.
Blackberry-ginger
Simmer 4 thin slices of fresh ginger with the berries for a syrup that loves ginger beer and rye.
Blackberry-vanilla
Simmer half a split vanilla bean with the fruit for a cobbler-like syrup that suits pancakes and lattes.
Questions people ask
Can I use frozen blackberries?
Yes. Add them frozen and simmer about 2 minutes longer. Frozen berries release their juice readily, so they make great syrup out of season.
How do I get the seeds out of blackberry syrup?
Use a fine-mesh strainer and don't force the pulp through. For zero grit, strain a second time through damp cheesecloth or a nut-milk bag.
Why is my blackberry syrup bitter?
Usually underripe berries, a hard boil, or pulp and crushed seeds pushed through the strainer. Use fully black berries, keep the simmer gentle and let the syrup drip.
How long does blackberry syrup last?
Up to 2 weeks in the fridge in a sealed bottle. Freeze in ice-cube trays for up to 3 months.