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A bottle of homemade rosemary syrup with fresh rosemary on an oak kitchen worktop
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Rosemary Syrup (Honey or Agave)

A refined-sugar-free rosemary syrup for mocktails, made with honey or agave (vegan). Use it in lemonades, spritzes and warm drinks.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Steeping 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 250 ml
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: British
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 150 ml water
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, about 10 cm each, rinsed and patted dry
  • 150 g runny honey (raw honey works well; buy organic if you prefer). Vegan swap: 150 g agave syrup or maple syrup

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • Small funnel
  • Clean glass bottle or jar with a lid (about 250–300 ml)

Method
 

  1. Heat the water in a small saucepan over a medium heat until it's steaming and just about to simmer, then take it off the heat.
  2. Add the rosemary sprigs, pressing them under the surface with a spoon.
  3. Cover and leave to steep for 20 minutes, then taste. For a stronger, more resinous flavour, steep for up to 30 minutes more.
  4. Strain the rosemary infusion through a fine-mesh strainer into a jug, pressing the sprigs gently.
  5. While the infusion is still warm (not boiling), add the honey or agave and stir until it has completely dissolved and the syrup looks even.
  6. Use a funnel to pour it into a clean bottle or jar. Cool completely, seal and refrigerate.

Notes

Steeping off the heat keeps the rosemary flavour fresh and green. Simmering it for a long time can make it taste bitter.
Adding the honey to the warm (rather than boiling) infusion makes it easy to dissolve without cooking it.
Storage: keep in a clean, sealed bottle in the fridge. Honey and agave syrups diluted with water may not keep as long as traditional sugar syrups, so make small batches and use them up quickly. Discard if cloudy, fizzy, sour-smelling or mouldy.
Honey is not suitable for babies under 12 months. Use the agave or maple swap for a vegan syrup.
Total time includes the 20-minute steep but not cooling time.