A far cry from anything in a bottle, this intensely flavored syrup tastes great over waffles, pancakes, and even ice cream. You can use one type of berry or a combination of berries.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 3 cups

　　4 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and hulled strawberries

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot (see Note)

　　

Step 1

Combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, stir together the arrowroot with 1 tablespoon water. Add the arrowroot mixture to the berries and stir. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Use a whisk to break up the berries, but do not crush them.

　　

Step 3

Remove the pan from the heat, cool the syrup for 1 to 2 minutes, and serve.

　　

Make Ahead

Step 4

The syrup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat over low heat until warm.

　　Cooks' Note

　　To thicken the syrup, arrowroot is a better choice than cornstarch because arrowroot doesn't get chalky and has no distinguishing flavor. As with cornstarch, arrowroot should be dissolved in a cold liquid before whisking into a hot liquid. This mixture is called a slurry. Cornstarch breaks down if heated for an extended period but arrowroot doesn't, so sauces thickened with arrowroot reheat better and can be kept warm.

　　Pure Flavor