Apple Syrup (Appelstroop)

Appelstroop
SKopp / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Total: 85 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

Tart and fruity, apple syrup is great on hot, buttered toast. It can also be teamed with a cheese plate, drizzled over pancakes or used to add punch to stews.

Dutch expatriates cart this stuff back by the bucket load when they're abroad, but it's really easy to make at home. Of course, mine won't be exactly like a commercial brand. The consistency is thinner—more syrupy and spreadable—but frankly, it boggles my mind why anyone would want to replicate something factory-made at home... This is a good homemade version, without any additives, and with all the honest apple taste you could possibly want.

Ingredients

  • 6 1/2 cups apple juice

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 pods star anise

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 cup sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Add the apple juice, lemon juice, star anise and cinnamon to a saucepan.

  2. Boil on a medium-high heat and reduce down to 1/4 of the original volume, stirring occasionally.

  3. This can take an hour or two.

  4. Remove the star anise pods.

  5. Now add the sugar and boil until the sugar is dissolved.

  6. The apple syrup is ready when it coats the back of a spoon but still drips off like honey.

  7. Pour the apple syrup into a clean jam jar. Apple syrup keeps for quite a long time.

Tips:

  • If the apple syrup has cooked for too long it may go hard in the jar. If this happens, you’ll simply have to put it in the microwave for a minute before using, so it’ll turn runny again. Therefore, it’s probably best to keep it in a container that can go in the microwave if needed.
  • Soak your saucepan in hot tap water and the gloopy syrup residue will simply dissolve. No need to scrub!
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
47 Calories
0g Fat
12g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 47
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 26mg 130%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 69mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)