Bar specialties syrup
Oleo Saccharum
Citrus peels plus sugar plus time. The most intensely lemony syrup there is, and no stove needed.
- 4 hr 15 min total
- 1 cup240 ml
- Keeps 2 weeks
Quick answer
Oleo saccharum is a syrup made by letting sugar draw the aromatic oils out of citrus peels. Muddle the peels of 6 lemons with 1 cup sugar, cover and rest 4 hours to overnight, then stir in a splash of hot water to dissolve the rest and strain.
"Oleo saccharum" is Latin for oil-sugar, and it's the backbone of 18th- and 19th-century punch. Sugar draws moisture to itself, so when it's packed against fresh peel it pulls out the fragrant oils until the sugar turns wet, then glossy and syrupy, with no heat at all.
The payoff is the brightest citrus flavor you can put in a glass: all aroma, with none of the cooked, marmalade notes heat brings. It also wastes nothing, because you peel the fruit first and then juice it for the same drink.
Tastesintense lemonzestyaromatic
The recipe
Oleo Saccharum
Ingredients for 1 cup240 ml
You’ll need: glass jar, muddler, vacuum sealer, kitchen scale, citrus press, fine-mesh strainerglass jar, muddler, vacuum sealer, kitchen scale, citrus press, fine-mesh strainer
Method
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Peel
Scrub the lemons, then peel them in long, wide strips with a Y-peeler, pressing lightly so you take as little white pith as possible. Wrap and refrigerate the peeled fruit for juicing.
6 lemons
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Muddle
Put the peels and sugar in a sturdy bowl or jar and muddle firmly for about 1 minute, until the sugar looks damp and smells strongly of lemon.
1 cup200 g granulated sugar
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Rest
Cover and leave at room temperature for at least 4 hours and up to 24, stirring or shaking now and then. Most of the sugar will melt into a glossy syrup pooled at the bottom.
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Dissolve
Pour the hot water over the peels and stir until the last sugar crystals dissolve, 1–2 minutes.
1⁄3 cup + 1½ tbsp100 ml water
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Strain and bottle
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing the peels to get every drop. Bottle and refrigerate.
Storage. Keep it sealed in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The aroma is at its peak in the first few days, so make it close to when you need it. The sherbet version made with juice keeps about 1 week.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 48 kcal, 12.5 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Party punch
The whole batch with ¾ cup (180 ml) lemon juice, 3 cups (720 ml) aged rum, brandy or bourbon and 3 cups (720 ml) cold black tea or water, poured over a big block of ice. Serves about 12.
Whiskey sour
2 oz (60 ml) bourbon, ¾ oz (22 ml) lemon juice and ½–¾ oz (15–22 ml) oleo saccharum, shaken. Add an egg white if you like.
Tom Collins
2 oz (60 ml) gin, ¾ oz (22 ml) lemon juice and ½ oz (15 ml) oleo saccharum, shaken and topped with soda water.
Old Fashioned
1 tsp (5 ml) orange oleo with 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon and 2 dashes bitters gives instant citrus-peel aroma.
Best-ever lemonade
1 part oleo saccharum, 1 part lemon juice and 5 parts cold water.
Gear for this recipe
Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro
Seal peak-season fruit and herbs to turn into syrup later, or bag frozen syrup cubes. Also handy for sous-vide infusions.
Best for Preserving fruit and frozen syrup
OXO SteeL Muddler
Best for Mojitos, smashes and herb syrups
Zulay Kitchen 2-in-1 Metal Lemon & Lime Squeezer
Best for Fresh citrus for sours and lemonade
Ball Regular Mouth 16 oz Pint Mason Jars (12-pack)
Best for Big batches and everyday storage
More gear for this recipe (4)
Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale (11 lb)
Best for Exact ratios, every batch
Cuisinart Fine Mesh Stainless Strainers (set of 3)
Best for Every infused or fruit syrup
Kuhn Rikon Swiss Y-Peeler (set of 3)
Best for Citrus peels for oleo saccharum
Food-Grade Citric Acid Powder (1 lb)
Best for Cordials, elderflower and fruit syrups
Tips for the best batch
- Pith is the enemy, because it makes the syrup bitter. A Y-peeler with light pressure gives thin peel, and you can scrape off any white you see.
- Superfine (caster) sugar pulls oil faster than granulated. Pulse granulated sugar in a blender for a few seconds to make your own.
- To speed it up, seal the peels and sugar in a zip-top or vacuum bag with the air pressed out. The trick was popularized by bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, and you'll have syrup in about 4 hours with less muddling.
- Peeled fruit dries out quickly, so juice it within a day or two.
- Lemon is the classic for punch, but orange, grapefruit and lime all work, and a mix adds depth.
Variations
Mixed citrus
Swap 2 of the lemons for 1 grapefruit or 2 oranges. Grapefruit oleo is brilliant in a paloma.
Sherbet
Use 100 ml strained lemon juice instead of water. That's the sweet-sour 'sherbet' base of classic punch, so just add spirits and water.
Spiced
Muddle in 1 cracked cinnamon stick, 4 cloves or a few slices of fresh ginger with the peels for winter punches.
Quick hot-water method
Short on time? Muddle hard, rest for 30 minutes, then pour over just-boiled water and stir for 5 minutes before straining. It's less intense, but ready in under an hour.
Questions people ask
What is oleo saccharum?
A citrus-oil syrup made by muddling citrus peels with sugar and letting it rest until the sugar draws out the oils and turns liquid. It's the traditional base of punch and adds intense citrus aroma to sours.
How long should oleo saccharum sit?
At least 1–2 hours for a light version, 4–6 hours for good extraction, and up to 24 hours at room temperature for maximum intensity. After that the flavor plateaus.
What can I use oleo saccharum for?
Punch, whiskey sours, Tom Collins, Old Fashioneds, lemonade and iced tea. Use it anywhere you'd use simple syrup and want a brighter citrus flavor.
Does oleo saccharum need to be refrigerated?
Peels and sugar can sit at room temperature for up to a day while they rest. Once you've dissolved and strained the syrup, keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
What do I do with the peeled lemons?
Juice them for the same drink, since punch and sours need both the oleo and fresh juice. Peeled citrus dries out fast, so wrap it and juice it within a day or two.