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What is Blueberry Syrup?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Blueberry syrup is a sweet treat that is a delightful alternative to maple syrup. You can use it just as you would maple or breakfast syrup to top pancakes or waffles. It also has other uses. Fresh blueberry syrup can be used as a topping for simple cakes or ice cream with excellent results.

There are many recipes that detail how to make blueberry syrup. Most combine fresh or frozen blueberries (frozen may be cheaper), with corn syrup or sugar and water. The blueberries may be mashed, and some recommend placing them in a food processor or a blender to get smoother syrup at the end. Some people like to place a few whole berries in the syrup and reserve some of the blueberries used to add toward the end of the cooking process.

A pile of blueberries.
A pile of blueberries.

You’ll find complicated recipes for blueberry syrup that involve the use of a candy thermometer to make sure you reach certain temperatures. As you cook the sugar or corn syrup with the blueberries on a high heat, the syrup will start to thicken. Some people just recommend boiling the syrup for about five minutes to get it thick. Stirring constantly tends to be important as otherwise it’s quite easy to burn the sugar, which is a waste of good blueberries.

Blueberry syrup is often used to top waffles.
Blueberry syrup is often used to top waffles.

It may take some experimentation to find the perfect blueberry syrup recipe, but some people don’t have the time for these experiments. Fortunately, you can frequently find blueberry and other fruit syrups at your local grocery store. If you’re having trouble locating fruit syrups, check with a specialty store. Alternately you can order plenty of fruit syrups online for use to make special breakfasts or to make an everyday breakfast very special.

Some blueberry syrup recipes require the use of a candy thermometer.
Some blueberry syrup recipes require the use of a candy thermometer.

When you purchase blueberry syrup, you can serve it as is, or heat it briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop. If you want syrup with whole berries add some fresh or frozen berries during the heating process. Alternately, you can add berries directly to pancakes or waffles you are making. When really short on time, there are plenty of toaster waffles that have whole blueberries in them, though these tend not to be as good as homemade versions.

If you have lots of blueberries to use, there are recipes for making large batches of the syrup and canning it for use through the blueberry lean months. Of course, it’s pretty easy to make smaller, as-needed batches of blueberry syrup when you use frozen blueberries. These are available in local grocery stores year round.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

ZsaZsa56

I saw a recipe online that was developed by the food network. It was from that show Good Eats and it is an Alton Brown blueberry syrup.

I tried making it and serving it with my favorite pancake recipe and it was delicious. The recipe combine blueberries, maple syrup, butter and several spices. It was the most complicated syrup I had ever tired but also one of the tastiest.

I like blueberry pancakes but I have always found that they cook differently with the blueberries added. Using this homemade blueberry syrup recipe you get the best of both worlds, a perfectly cooked pancake and the delicious flavor of blueberries.

chivebasil

My mom makes this incredible blueberry french toast that has a blueberry syrup with it. It is incredible and the blueberry syrup really adds to the flavor of the dish.

It is a really easy blueberry syrup recipe. She basically just boils blueberries in good maple syrup for about five minutes. The flavor of the blueberries infuses into the syrup and the tartness of the berries helps to cut some of the sweetness of the syrup.

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    • A pile of blueberries.
      By: Mariusz Blach
      A pile of blueberries.
    • Blueberry syrup is often used to top waffles.
      By: Greatstockimages
      Blueberry syrup is often used to top waffles.
    • Some blueberry syrup recipes require the use of a candy thermometer.
      By: askthegeek
      Some blueberry syrup recipes require the use of a candy thermometer.